If Only You Knew
by the real Amia-chan
Summary: An account of the tragic lovestory between two former best friends. Words that went unsaid and unheard. How differently things would have gone had they just said what they had truly felt. yaoi/slash, yuri, het.
1. Chapter 1

hihi~~! welcome one and all to my take on final fantasy tactics~ ^o^ i am one of many that believe that what Ramza and Delita had was more than friendship...how could it not be? how could the two of them simply be friends? it just didn't seem possible to me. there was something more there...love...but they never seemed to speak of it directly...i feel that i should elaborate on the story that played in my mind each time i played this game. now in my version there is an OC, but fear not, she causes no harm to the couple but rather encourages them.

i suppose that i should say this right now. there is yaoi/slash here (obviously) but there is het and some yuri as well. if any of those bother you, then you can do two things; you can suck it up and read a perfectly good story, or you can leave. it is entirely up to you so do not whine to me if there is anything in this story that upsets you. i will not tolerate hate mail and flames.

to those of you that are still here, i am glad you have chosen to stay my friends. please enjoy yourself. ^-^

.~.~.~.~.

Chapter 1 A Ghost from the Past

it was a dark and rainy day in late February at Orbonne Monastery. knights and mercenaries alike stood waiting outside for the one that they were protecting. an older man in worn armour paced back and forth with impatience. "how long does she plan on taking? it is as though she doesn't realize the danger of staying still like this..." he said with obvious irritation in his voice. "calm down, even if someone comes, I am sure that we can take care of it." coaxed Rad. "isn't that right Ramza?" he looked to his blonde comrade for support, but the boy wasn't listening. today was a difficult day for him. today was the anniversary of that horrible day...the day that he lost everything. he'd been tempted to stay in bed all day but Rad had forced him to get out of bed that day, informing him that his usual travel companion had left him a note. she had gone back to that place to pay her respects and would return later in the day. he envied how she could so easily go back...he couldn't handle returning to that place...

"Ramza? Ramza!" called Rad. suddenly he snapped back into reality and looked at the male. "hm? o-oh. yes, of course we can." he said absent-mindedly. Rad let out and exasperated sigh. "honestly, what's wrong with you? you've been like this all day..." he said. Ramza shook his head. "it is nothing my friend. nothing at all." he replied. Rad lifted his hand and lightly placed it upon his shoulder, concern in his dark eyes. "are you sure it is?" he asked. Ramza looked at him, and in a vain attempt to hide his sadness, smiled warmly at the other. "I am." he said.

Rad gave him one more sad look as he knew his friend was lying, but he dropped the subject out of respect. suddenly Gafgarion growled and the two looked up at him. "I am tired of waiting...come, let us see what is taking them so long." he said, walking towards the large wooden doors and opening them. the younger men quickly followed him. as they approached, he overheard part of the conversation between Agrias and the princess. "the guards have already arrived." came the voice of the female knight. then the priest spoke up. "princess, don't give Agrias trouble. please hurry..." he said.

before anything else could be said, Gafgarion approached them. "what's going on? it's been nearly an hour!" he said with obvious irritation. Agrias gave him a look of warning. "don't be rude to the princess, Gafgarion." she said. Ramza and Rad knelt to show their respect. Ramza knew his place from his former nobility though he couldn't say why Rad had knelt as well. Gafgarion bowed his head respectfully in an attempt to appease the woman before him though he had only done so to hurry things along. "is this going to be alright, Agrias?" he asked, hoping that this would be enough formality. "this is an urgent issue for us." he finished. she glared at him. "so there are rude knaves even among the Hokuten?" she asked in a slightly haughty tone.

Gafgarion lifted his head once more and Rad began to get up, but Ramza grabbed his hand and gave him a look and he remained kneeling. his friend may not know better than that, but he did. "I'm being more than kind to the guard captains here. besides, we're mercenaries hired by the Hokuten. I'm not obliged to show respect to you." he said, trying to hide a small smirk but not completely succeeding. the blonde woman's eyes widened, her face showing outrage. "what? how dare you?" she cried. Ramza bit his bottom lip. the last thing they needed was a fight with a holy knight.

before he could say anything though, princess Ovelia rose from the ground near the alter. "enough. let's go." she said simply. she turned and began to walk down the aisle and Ramza and Rad stood as she did so. she stopped and turned to the priest. he gazed at her with a gentle expression. "go with god." he said to her. she smiled softly. "you too, Simon." she said.

suddenly a knight came limping into the monastery and they all turned to look upon the injured woman. she soon collapsed, being caught by the priest. "lady Agrias!...the enemy!" she said, her voice weakened by her current state but just as urgent as the situation required. Simon's eyes widened. "prince Goltana's men!" he asked. Agrias frowned and rushed out of the church. Gafgarion shrugged, uninterested in the gravity of the situation. "what one must do to make money." he said. Ramza frowned slightly, wishing that he'd take this more seriously. the white haired man took notice and turned his gaze upon him. "what Ramza? you have a problem too?" he asked. Ramza shook his head. "I am no longer a knight. just a mercenary like you." he said. the older male nodded. "that's right. well then. let's go!" he said. the man walked out the doors and the younger two quickly followed. as he left, he overheard the princess softly mutter 'oh god...' he felt a bit badly, but he knew that they would simply defeat the enemy and remove her need to be concerned. 'we will protect her from them. there is nothing to worry about.' he thought.

as he exited the building, his thoughts were drown out by the sound of the pouring rain. his corn coloured blonde hair quickly became soaked and matted itself to his head as it turned a sort of sand colour from the water it now held. he scanned the scene. there stood Agrias and two of the other knights ready to face five opponents. "the crest of the Black Lion! what's wrong with prince Goltana! he's such an idiot! does he want to start a war!" cried Agrias in shock. one of Goltana's knights called out to her. "knave! there's no point resisting! just give us the princess, or that beautiful face of yours will be scarred forever!" he said over the thunder. she glowered at him, refusing to be intimidated as she reached for her sword. Gafgarion walked away from the monastery to stand at her side, Ramza and Rad following. "fool! only idiots attack head on!" he roared at them over the sound of the rain. Agrias stepped forward to stand ahead of him. "leave this to us!" she said to him. Gafgarion gave a short laugh. "we can't make money that way!" he replied. "Rad, Ramza! follow me!" he bellowed at the two youths. they drew their swords and readied themselves. "kill them all! don't leave any survivors!" cried Gafgarion. Agrias whipped around and gave him a stern look. "nonsense! there's no need to kill them! that's just what Goltana wants us to do! just let them go!" she said. Gafgarion turned to face her, gazing upon her as though she had completely lost her mind. "that's impossible!" he roared.

the younger males looked at eachother and nodded. they would do their best to follow the orders. one man rushed forward but Agrias and Gafgarion confronted him. "night sword!" cried Gafgarion and a mere seconds apart Agrias screamed "stasis sword!" as light and darkness met, the energy clashed and resulted in an explosion, sending the man and his weapon flying in two different directions. Ramza yelped, shielding his eyes from the blast. the explosion sent his mind backward to the day that he was trying to forget about. "idiot! I said _don't_ kill them!" yelled Agrias, barely being heard in Ramza's hazy mind. "do you think that I _planned_ for that to happen?" roared Gafgarion. Ramza groaned, shaking his head in an attempt to pull himself together. "Ramza! come on! snap out of it!" cried Rad. "r-right!" replied the blonde.

suddenly the enemy charged and Gafgarion and Agrias rushed into the fray. Rad and Ramza gave a battle cry and charged as well. swords clashed, arrows flew, and the enemy chemist rushed to keep everyone strong. seeing him as a threat, Ramza rushed forward, dodging enemy attacks and slamming the hilt of his sword hard into the top of the man's skull, knocking him unconscious. meanwhile Rad rushed in, grabbing an archer by the hair and slamming his head repeatedly into the stone walkway until he went limp. Gafgarion rushed forward and thrust his iron clad fist into another man's stomach and when he didn't immediately fall down, gripped the young man's face and headbutted him, smashing his helm into the unlucky male's unprotected forehead. he groaned and fell away. Agrias gaped. "what are you doing? you'll damage them permanently!" she screamed. Gafgarion rolled his eyes. "don't kill them, don't hurt them, are you ever satisfied? there is no other way!" he yelled.

while the two were distracted, Ramza and Rad rushed the lone knight that remained. "shit!" cried the knight, readying himself for battle. "I refuse to lose to the likes of you!" he yelled, slashing at Rad who jumped back before turning his sword upon Ramza. the blonde used his own blade to block the attack and tried to push the man back, but he was stronger than him. the man tried to kick him but his boot barely touched him as Rad leapt forward discarding his sword as he tackled the enemy knight. Ramza quickly sheathed his own blade as he jumped on the man as well. he slammed his fist into the man's face, hitting him over and over again as Rad took to working the unlucky man's crotch. after a while he stilled and the two stopped hitting him. they leaned against eachother, back to back, panting with effort. "haa...haa...it's good to see that you are still able to fight with whatever is wrong..." said Rad, relieved. Ramza tried to catch his breath before he spoke. "I...I am not a helpless child like I once was, Rad..." he replied. they stood and Rad collected the sword that he had abandonned. Ramza, brushed a hand through his drenched blonde locks in an attempt to keep the wet hair out of his honey brown eyes. it was over...

suddenly there was a scream coming from within the church. they all looked up. it was the princess. "let go of me!" she cried, her voice echoing over the sound of the rain. "damn!" said Agrias, rushing into the church. "come here, be quiet!" came the barely audible voice of a young man. "why should I listen to you!" cried the princess. the male grunted his irritation. "what an annoying princess." he grumbled. he drew back his fist and slammed it into her stomach. with a groan she slid downwards and he picked her up and carried her over his shoulder. he took her to his mount, a solitary chocobo and loaded her on like cargo before climbing on himself. Ramza rushed to the side of the monastery to see what was going on. Agrias' voice could be heard. "wait!" she cried. the male looked back casually at her. "tough...don't blame us. blame yourself or god." he said simply. 'his voice...it sounds...familiar...' thought Ramza. it was as though he had heard that voice a million times before, only it seemed harsher than anyone's that he could recall. he felt his heartbeat rising rapidly as he tried to pin the voice to a face. suddenly the male began to ride off and his eyes widened as he realized who it was. their eyes locked for a split second, his own becoming wide and his heart ceased to beat for a moment. he could hear the sound of Agrias fall to one knee and faintly the words 'oh, god...', but his mind was still on the brunette male he had just seen. "...Delita?" he asked in a small voice. "...you're alive, Delita?...but...why are you in Goltana's troops?" he wondered though the man was too far gone to give an answer let alone hear him. "why...?" he asked.

suddenly he was overwhelmed with emotions. the one he'd thought he'd lost forever, the one whose death he was mourning this very day, the one only his now dearest friend had been able to convince that he could go on without...was alive...he dropped to his knees and wrapped one arm around his slender waist and brought the other hand up to cover his mouth. his eyes watered but he couldn't tell if he was crying out of joy for seeing Delita again, or sorrow from knowing that they were on opposing sides now. suddenly he wished that someone could hold him but he could not ask such a thing from the people that were here. the only one he could ask this of was the woman that had left their party this morning. "Delita..." he whimpered the name as the tears finally fell down his face, disguised by the rain as simply water.

suddenly all those memories of their time together came flooding back to him...

.~.~.~.~.

alright. there is our first chapter. i know that Ramza doesn't fall down and cry when he sees Delita in the game, but really, are we to believe that he's a boy of stone? that he would not be overwhelmed by seeing that Delita was still living? whether he loved him or thought him his closest friend...were he any one of us, would he not be overcome with shock? at any rate this is the beginning~~ in our next chapter we meet our lovely OC and see our boys as comrades in arms for the first time. i'll work on getting it up as soon as i can~~

review, flame and...well, i write murders for fun, you don't wanna know what i will do to you, do you? *smirks sadistically*

alright duckies, love you, matane~~! ^o^


	2. Chapter 2

ahaha. i didn't give a disclaimer last time . . ^-^U...well none of you thought i owned it, did you? well i don't. the lovely squaresoft people do or squarenix or whatever they call themselves now do. i own my OC and this fanfiction, but the rest is theirs...ah, if only i _did_ own them, eh, duckies? they'd have gotten together in the end, wouldn't they have? none the less, they're not mine...but i love them as though they were~~ *giggles* anyway, here comes chapter 2!

.~.~.~.~.

Chapter 2 A Chance Meeting

it was the very last week of December, a new year was about to begin...yet because of the recent troubles with thieves and rebels, those who attended the academy had very little time to celebrate. a youth with long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail stood in the auditorium alongside a brunette. he gazed upon the male. his hair was slicked back, his eyes were a warm chocolate brown much like his hair and his skin held a light tan to it. he was handsome, no question.

there was chatter near them about an attacked wagon headed for Igros, but the blonde's attention was focused mainly upon the brunette. "something is starting...do you know anything Delita?" asked the blonde. the other looked up at him, his arms folded across his chest. "no...but I can guess." he said. Ramza frowned slightly. "what do you mean?" he asked. Delita looked at him quite seriously. "prince Larg is coming to town." he said. Ramza turned to face him fully. "the prince? why?" he inquired. "not just him, but the marquis Elmdor of Limberry as well." he said. Ramza looked at him in surprise. "that's news! it's not official though, is it?" he said. "there are danger zones all across the land. the Hokuten are in full operation, but they're suffering from a shortage of men." said Delita. "so they need cadets like us." said Ramza. Delita nodded. "indeed." he said simply.

the brunette looked at him for a moment then reached out and lightly gripped his ponytail. "your hair's getting long." he said. Ramza blushed slightly at the sudden comment and contact. "y-yes, it is. I felt like growing it out...do you not like it?" he asked, hoping that Delita had no problem with it. if he did though, he'd cut it, no question. Delita shook his head. "I never said that...it looks nice on you, though a bit girlish perhaps..." he said. Ramza sighed softly in relief and smiled at his friend. "I am glad...I was thinking that you might not..." he admitted. the brunette raised an eyebrow. "...and why does what I think matter to you so much?" he asked. Ramza blushed furiously. "w-well, you're my best friend, of course your opinion matters to me! besides, I expect that you of all people would tell me if I looked like a fool..." he replied quickly in an attempt to make it sound like it simply mattered because of their closeness.

'so that's it, eh?' thought Delita. 'very well, if that is your reason, then I will act as a best friend.' he thought. he suddenly gripped the fistful of hair tightly and pulled. "h-hey!" cried Ramza. Delita smirked and proceeded to wrestle the blonde to the ground and sit upon him. "it's also an excellent way for me to overpower you...maybe you _should_ cut it even if it is cute..." he said with a slightly sadistic smirk. people stared at them and Ramza blushed furiously at both his predicament and the fact that Delita had called his hairstyle 'cute'. "D-Delita, get off me this instant!" he cried. Delita laughed. "you sound like a girl you know..." he said. "stop it! get off of me!" he cried out a third time.

shortly a voice called out. "everyone, fall in!" hearing it, Delita jumped off of the helpless younger boy and got into formation. a few people chuckled at Ramza who quickly dusted himself off and joined the ranks. "I'll get you for that, you jerk..." he growled at Delita who smirked and winked at him. "you're welcome to wrestle me outside in the mud come spring if you want your honour back..." he said softly. Ramza blushed. the thought of the two of them caked in mud trying to find a grip on eachother came to mind. then the Delita and Ramza in his mind stripped off their muddy clothing down to their underwear and Delita tackled him, knocking him back into the mud, pressed near bare up against him. he gulped and blushed harder. he managed to put on a convincingly angry face and spit back the words. "you can bet that I will." Delita smirked. suddenly both boys were greatly looking forward to spring though neither one said so.

the knight that had spoken moments before walked in and all eyes fell upon him. "you have a mission!" he said to them. "as you know, barbarians are rapidly increasing in numbers here in Gallionne. the traitorous death corps detest the royal family. we cannot overlook them. we will begin exterminating these traitors, by order of our master." he said. "Larg's men are stationed at Igros castle and many other groups will participate. your duty is to support the flank. specifically, you'll go to Igros and help guard it." he finished. suddenly a female knight came in. they spoke in hushed voices and he nodded before she rushed off. "men, ready your swords! a gang of tortured thieves is trying to sneak into our town. we'll begin preparations immediately to keep them out of the town! come with me! this is the frontline of operations! that is all. prepare immediately!" he said.

"ready for action?" asked Delita. Ramza nodded. "of course I am. it's what we've been training for, isn't it?" he replied, going and collecting his rapier. the brunette frowned. "you say that so plainly...Ramza, this isn't like training, you will actually have to take lives..." he said. Ramza grimaced. he didn't like the idea of killing another person, but he knew that this was his duty. Delita looked around and saw that most of the people were gone and that the few that remained were wrapped up in preparing themselves for battle. he reached out and took one of Ramza's hands in both of his. "my friend...if the thought of ending a life becomes too much to bear, then allow me to bloody my own hands in your place, that yours might stay pristine..." he said.

the blonde's cheeks reddened at those words. "Delita I..." he started. he was glad to know that Delita cared for him so, but he couldn't allow the young man to fight his battles for him. he was nearly old enough to be considered a man, and he couldn't simply shame his family over his own ideals. "...I am perfectly capable of fighting my own battles Delita...do not worry about me, I can do this." he said. Delita's expression showed a faint sadness over the rejection, but Ramza lightly placed his gloved hand upon the male's cheek. "that does not mean that I do not appreciate your offer, my friend." he reassured. Delita gave a nod, his expression going back to normal.

they collected their things and headed for the door. "shall we then?" asked the blonde. "yes, let's." said the brunette. they went outside and joined a group of their peers that were facing down the enemy. they got into formation and looked out to one of the thieves.

"what's this? just a bunch of kids? what luck!" he said happily, his allies chuckling. "alright, all we have to do is kill these kids. then we can escape!" he said. "right!" cried the other thieves. "don't worry, we'll kill every last one of you so you won't have to miss your friends..."said the male with a smirk.

the enemy came charging and Delita moved forward. "Ramza, watch out! don't rush them!" he said. "don't patronize me, Delita! I'm also a Beoulve!" he replied. the nearest thief's eyes narrowed. "Beoulve! _the_ Beoulve family! then you must be cadets from the military academy! snot nosed little nobles!" he retorted. "silence! surrender or die in obscurity!" cried Ramza. the thief laughed. "what can a bunch of kids like you do? a bunch of spoiled punks like you could never beat us!" he yelled.

"enough!" yelled Delita. the man had been so busy mocking them that he had left himself wide open. he ran in and in one fell swoop sliced open his stomach without a moment's hesitation. Ramza stared, watching the blood fly from Delita's sword and splatter up against a nearby house. he wondered how killing could come so easily to Delita.

quickly he shook the thought from his head and headed into the fray towards his nearest enemy. the man came at him with a dagger but he dodged the blow and slashed at the man, narrowly missing. "you think you can stand against me kid?" asked the male, licking his lips hungrily. he came at Ramza again and this time the blonde acted fast and knocked the weapon from his hand. the man backed up a bit.

"surrender and no harm will come to you." said Ramza. the man dropped to one knee, hanging his head. Ramza smiled slightly. perhaps they wouldn't have to take all of their lives. just as he thought that, the male pulled a spare dagger from his boot and lunged at him. before he could think about what he was doing, he sliced horizontally, his sword cutting through the man's unprotected wrist like butter, earning a scream. then he pulled back his sword and thrust it into the man's abdomen.

an odd noise escaped the man and he looked up into the blonde's eyes, horror in his expression and then suddenly...nothing. he slid down off of Ramza's sword onto the ground. the young man stared. he'd just killed someone...watched the life fade from his eyes...it was a little hard to believe that it had been that easy, that he had done it without even thinking. he felt as though his teachers had left him completely unprepared for the graivty of taking another's life.

"RAMZA!" he heard Delita scream. he looked up to see another thief running flat out in his direction, sword drawn. he yelped and raised his blade to protect himself. before the man could strike, there was the sound of something whizzing through the air followed by the sound of impact. the man's eyes went wide, just enough life left in him to register that he now had an arrow sticking out of his neck. his eyes rolled back and he fell forward making Ramza back up so that he didn't fall on him.

Ramza and Delita looked in the direction of the arrow to see who had shot it. upon the rooftops stood a woman with long reddish blonde hair and curves just as deadly as her aim. she rushed forward and jumped down, landing at Ramza's side. "be careful boy, now is not the time to contemplate the meaning of life...it would be a shame if such a pretty face went to waste." she said with a wink. her voice was calm and sexy, as though she had been in enough battles that they no longer phased her.

"who are you? what are you doing here?" yelled Delita as he pushed a female thief back and slashed at her. "do you really think that now is a good time to ask? I'm clearly on your side so just be grateful for my coming to your aid. you can ask for my life story later!" she yelled back, firing off a few arrows at a thief and growling when he dodged them.

Ramza shook his head. this woman was right. now was not the time to think of the gravity of taking another's life. this was battle, he could worry about it later. he ran back into the fight and cut down the nearest enemy, this time not thinking about the life he'd just ended. he heard another enemy fall in the background but didn't think to much on it.

one last thief remained and he was quickly surrounded by the blonde, brunette, and the mystery woman. "dammit!" he cried. he looked around for a way out. "give up now so you won't be killed." said Delita. the thief shook his head. "never! I will never surrender to the likes of you, I would rather die!" he cried, raising his sword. he attempted to bring it down on Ramza, but with lightning speed an arrow was shot into his hand, causing him to drop the blade. Delita rushed in and thrust his own sword into the man's chest.

finally the last man fell. it was over. Ramza looked at the bodies nearby with a sad expression. "why do you continue committing acts like robbery? you wouldn't have died this way if you'd led an honest life..." he said. "some people don't know any better unfortunately..." said Delita, coming over to him and placing a hand upon his shoulder. "hey...are you alright? you kinda just zoned out for a moment back there..." he said. Ramza looked up and shook his head. "it's...it's fine...I was just a little shocked that I'd actually killed someone..." he admitted. Delita sighed softly. "I wonder everyday if someone so gentle ever should have chosen to become a knight." he said. Ramza frowned. "I am a good fighter and my tactics in training have been praised greatly. I will get over the fact that I must take lives eventually." he said.

Delita looked at him and simply nodded. he hoped for Ramza's sake that he would get used to it soon. with that taken care of, he turned his attention to the woman standing near them. "well then, now that things are peaceful, who are you?" he asked her. she walked towards them with a smile, allowing them to get a better look at her. their eyes widened slightly. her eyes were green instead of brown like everyone else's and her ears were pointed instead of round. 'she must be a foreigner...' thought Ramza.

"I am Lyra...or Li if you prefer. I am a warrior of the Kinta tribe in my homeland." she said. "Kinta?" the two boys repeated. "yes, Kinta. a sort of amazons in a way...we're a matriarchal society." she said. Delita smirked slightly. "that explains it. I don't think I've ever seen a woman fight so well." he said. she raised an eyebrow. "oh? do you not have female knights, or do the women around here just enjoy wearing armour?" asked Lyra. suddenly a wry smile flitted across her face. "though I suppose that I could say the same of you, couldn't I? where I come from, men are rather helpless creatures...it's nice to see that someone's actually put you to work." she said.

Delita snorted, looking away. "men are hardly helpless." he stated, making her laugh. "now, now, let's not make this into another fight. I'd rather not make new enemies." she said. she paused, turning he attention to Ramza. "my...who on earth would send such a sweet looking boy into battle? such a pretty face you have..." she said. Delita's attention snapped back to the woman. her words were simply kind, not flirtatious, but still he felt a bit threatened.

Ramza blushed softly. "really? your words are sweet lady Lyra, but I am the one that chose this path." he said. Lyra chuckled and ruffled his hair. "oi, oi, no need to be so formal among friends young one." she said playfully. "friends?" the two boys repeated. "yeah, friends. we've just defeated a damned good number of enemies side by side...I'd say that sort of thing brings you closer to people." she said.

Ramza smiled and Delita rolled his eyes. she presumed too much in his opinion. the blonde however was quite happy to take on a new ally. "very well then Lyra. I am pleased to meet you." he said. she grinned and patted him on the back. "well, well! cute _and_ polite...lucky me~! not that your scowling friend doesn't have his charms..." she said. Ramza giggled and Delita fought the urge to punch the wall. he couldn't tell if she was flirting or just being friendly with Ramza, but he didn't much care for a stranger acting so close to his dearest friend.

"Ramza. we should report the results of our battle." he said. he wanted to leave before the woman began directly flirting with the blonde. "oh, yes. forgive me, but I must go. will you be in town long?" asked Ramza. "for a while I believe. I'm looking for work at the moment, but I may leave if I find none. I'm staying at the inn at the for now." she said casually. it occured to Ramza that they needed more fighters and he wondered to himself if the Hokuten would be interested in hiring her.

"there is much work for fighters nowadays...I shall mention you to my superiors." said the blonde. she grinned broadly, showing off flawless white teeth and naturally red lips. "lovely~...it is wonderful to meet such a helpful young man. I appreciate it." she said happily. she leaned in and lightly kissed his cheek and Delita's eyes went wide. Ramza blushed lightly and smiled. "it's nothing." he replied. Delita gave the woman a look that seemed capable of melting mithril armour as though it were ice. he grabbed Ramza's hand and began to drag him away. "come. it's time to report." he snarled. Ramza tried to make him let go but could not break away. "I-I'm sorry, I must go...goodbye!" he managed out, quickly turning in Delita's direction. "Delita, what's wrong with you? we can spare a few moments to chat with the woman that saved my life!" he said in a sotto voice with a glare. Delita didn't say anything but continued to drag him off.

Lyra stood with a look of confusion for a moment. the gesture had been purely platonic, something of gratitude that she commonly gave to anyone she owed thanks. suddenly she chuckled to herself. "oho~! what was that? my, my, Lyra...what have you stumbled upon?" she said in a rather light and amused tone. "how interesting that just a little kiss on the cheek could get him so angry...I think that I will have to keep my eye on those two..." she said. the wheels in her head were turning now. was it just a close friend being protective, or was it something else? she continued to chuckle to herself as she turned and headed off for the inn.

by the time they got back to the academy, Delita had calmed himself but Ramza was annoyed by the fact that he had been dragged through town without so much as a word from the brunette. they gave their report and just as he said, Ramza mentioned the woman that had come to their aid. his superiors listened with interest and said that they would look into her.

when the report was given, Ramza left the room, rubbing the wrist that Delita had been clutching to relieve the soreness. Delita walked out after him with a slightly concerned look on his face. "Ramza? are you alright?" he asked. Ramza glared at him. "I will be, no thanks to you. what were you thinking just dragging me off like that? you're grip was so tight and you wouldn't say a word to me!" he said angrily.

Delita winced slightly. he hated it when Ramza was genuinely mad at him. "Ramza, I am sorry...you know I get protective of you when someone gets so close to you...I was worried that we would have a repeat of last year with that obnoxious nobleman..." he said. the blonde huffed. "a young woman giving me a kiss on the cheek in gratitude and a dirty old man grabbing my butt are two entirely different things Delita. I was doing her a favour and she was grateful...have I never done the same thing to you?" he asked.

Delita sighed softly. Ramza was right. on certain occasions in their youth the blonde had been grateful enough to press those soft, lovely pink lips to the side of his face. "you're...you're right...I overreacted...I am sorry..." Ramza sighed slightly and cupped Delita's chin with his hands. "why do you always get this way with me? why are you so overprotective? you act as though I am your sister at times..." he said, searching his face for the answer.

the brunette looked at his friend with sadness. he didn't think of him as his sister...he was overprotective out of love, but not the kind he held for Teta. no, there was more to it than that. "I am...I am just protective of my friends...especially when they are so close to being family such as you are." he said. why couldn't he just say it? 'I am hopelessly in love with you. that's why I get this way...I'm possessive of you.' why couldn't he just be honest?

Ramza sighed and turned away. "why must you do that? why must you look so sad when I scold you? it's like having a puppy...you make me feel so cruel over trying to punish you for being bad..." suddenly the normal Delita returned and he smirked. "so I am a puppy now, am I? does that mean that I get to lick your face?" he teased, making the blonde blush. "Delita!" he snapped. the brunette laughed. "well, puppy or not, I will keep in mind what you've said and try not to be so overprotective." he said. Ramza smiled softly in relief. "good. I am glad." he said.

"lord Ramza!" cried a woman's voice out of nowhere. the two turned to see a maid from the Beoulve household rushing towards them. she bent, panting when she reached them. "l-lord Ramza...it is your father...we think that he is going to..." she started. instantly Ramza knew what she was talking about.

"dammit!" he cried. he ran down the hall, not even stopping to say goodbye to Delita. he ran as fast as he could for home dodging people and obstacles with incredible skill. he didn't want to see his father die, but like hell would he not be there to say goodbye! he ran into their home and up the stairs then down the hall towards his father's room.

he burst through the doors, startling his 3 siblings. "father!" he cried. he panted heavily, sweat dripping down his face. he took in his brother's serious expressions and his sister's tearful face.

"lower your voice." said Dycedarg. he nodded apologetically and approached his father's bed. his father smiled warmly at him. "I'm glad you came...let me...look at you." said Balbanes in a weak voice. Dycedarg stepped aside and Ramza moved to stand at the head of the bed. "father..." he said softly. "it has been a long time...you've become a fine young man...you start at the academy in spring, don't you?" he asked.

Ramza said nothing, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. his father's hand reached out to him weakly and he took it. "listen Ramza...a Beoulve has served the royal family for generations. the warrior spirit is in us. never shame your name...never tolerate injustice...living true to your heart is the warrior's way...the Beoulve way." he said.

"I understand father..." Ramza said softly. "Delita's a good boy. he should serve you well...I've asked the dean to accept him into the academy. it shocked him a bit. he will serve you well...treat him well..." said Balbanes. "y-yes...father..." the blonde managed out. he moved closer to the bed, laying his head next to his father's for a moment.

Balbanes glanced at the sobbing girl at the foot of his bed, then back to Ramza. "take good care of Alma..." he said. Ramza pulled back and looked at his father sadly, but he nodded. he would take care of his sister. "become a fine knight...Ramza." said his father.

before anything else could be said, Balbanes closed his eyes and the hand that held Ramza's went limp. Ramza dropped to his knees, his tears finally spilling forth. "father..." he said weakly. Alma's sobbing grew louder and Dycedarg and Zalbag hung their heads with respect and sadness.

eventually Ramza and Alma left the room, leaving their older brothers to take care of things. Alma flung her arms around Ramza and cried and soon, so did he clutching her tightly. the two slid to the floor holding one another. they both were so close to their father...he was old and had been unwell for quite some time, they knew that...but to see him die...

they held onto eachother for a while, but finally Alma let go and ran to her room. Ramza lifted himself weakly from the ground and headed for his own room. he wrapped his arms tightly around his slender, womanly waist and held himself as he walked. he was trembling badly but none of the house staff said a word of it.

he opened his door and walked into his room, shutting it behind him. he moved to his bed and fell forward onto the large blue bedspread. he started crying again. he felt so lost without his father. oh, how he wished that he was just a child once more so that he could crawl into bed with Delita and cry all night, holding him close. he needed him so much right now. he longed to be held by him, to feel his strong arms around him...but he couldn't run to him he couldn't just run to another man and beg for his affection. at least he did not think that he could. not at this age.

meanwhile Delita gazed out his window thoughtfully. "Ramza...are you going to be alright?" he muttered to himself. he was concerned how Ramza would take the death of his father. he wanted to run to him, hold him, kiss him sweetly and tell him that it would be alright...but he held himself back. he knew that seeing Ramza so vulnerable, he would be unable to fight his own feelings. he wouldn't be able to resist tenderly pressing his lips to his childhood friend's in an attempt to comfort him. the last thing that Ramza needed was his best friend forcing his own feelings onto him. he didn't think that the blonde would forgive him if he tried, when in reality he would have found such comfort in that single act of love. "Ramza...forgive me for not being there for you..." he said sadly.

Ramza cried all night, unable to go to the dining room for dinner when the servants called him, barely managing to stop crying long enough to tell them hoarsely to go away. he was normally never unkind to the servants, always treating them with such warmth as though they were part of his family, but right now he was in too much pain to stop and phrase it in a more pleasant manner.

in the end, he cried himself to sleep, sleeping fully clothed and feeling horribly empty inside. he didn't dream that night, but as he slept he somehow felt his father's presence. he could feel his gentle, watchful eyes upon him and it gave him comfort after everything that had happened today, easing his suffering. he slept soundly and unmoving during the night.

.~.~.~.~.

alrighty! there is our second chapter. i find i odd that my flirt of an OC never really hit on anyone in her first appearance...i don't really consider what she did or said as flirting. i think that kind of thing is just being overly friendly. XDD i love Delita getting so angry with Lyra over a kiss on the cheek. i have this image of him on fire in my mind the moment she did that...which is funny as hell to me 'cause i'd probably kiss him on the cheek to say thanks too...he'd slaughter me, wouldn't he? *cackles*

also i feel the need to elaborate on Ramza's relationship with his father at some point. most likely in the next chapter. they just seemed so close and i feel like Balbanes would have given him such good advice over the years. he struck me as a very loving father~~

bah! my computer crashed and i lost 2 hours of work on this! . i was so pissed off! i hope it's as good as the original was.

anyways, that's it for now duckies~! review~~ no flaming, please. blogs are for bitching, reviews are for constructive criticism, alright?

matane~~! ^-^/


	3. Chapter 3

alright! welcome those that have stuck with me thus far! i cannot sleep tonight, so i am going to put my brain to use and write some more~~! forgive me if there are errors, i will try to catch them all. i would also like to mention Sethy (Setheron) for giving me the idea of Delita pulling Ramza's hair in the previous chapter. i find it so amusing and so likely for him to yank him about by the hair. XDD

so yeah, i'll do my insomniacal best on this one...

Brain: and then we get to pat the rabbits George?

Amia: yes dear, then we can pet the rabbits...

Brain: good. 'cause i wanna pet the rabbits...they're so soft, and their noses go like they're nibblin' all the time...^-^

Amia: yes dear, focus now...ugh, why am i using Of Mice and Men references? .

i don't own the characters or storyline of final fantasy tactics...or of mice and men...though i do own my ideas and OC. *thumb's up*

alright then, on with the fic~~

.~.~.~.~.

Chapter 3 New Alliances

over the next few days, Ramza did his best to carry on with life and come to terms with his father's death. he remained strong on the outside, but he still felt weak knowing that he would never have another conversation with him.

fortunately, Delita helped him focus on other things. the male practically dragged him out of his home the day after his father's funeral, insisting that they train of all things. at first he would not want to spar against him each day, but after a while he would take advantage of the opportunity to work out his anger and pain through fighting.

one particular day he came at Delita full force during training, the young man barely being able to block each attack as they came harder and faster at him. with a suddenness Delita could not expect, the blonde threw away his practice sword and flung his arms around him. he clung to his friend, panting hard as he tried to calm his mind. Delita released his own weapon and wrapped his arms around the boy, holding him in silence. he knew how difficult this was for Ramza. he had lost his own parents as well after all, though he had been much younger than Ramza.

as he held onto the male, he thought back on his father. he remembered a time that he had played with Delita as a child and ended up wrestling with him. how after a while the two realized that the brunette was pressed firmly against the blonde, pinning his wrists above his head. they'd both gotten flustered by it and Delita had quickly made an excuse to return home.

his father, who had been watching, approached him. "was there a problem Ramza?" Balbanes asked his son.

Ramza shook his head. "no...not really..." he said softly. he sighed and looked up at his father. "this happens often...we will be playing and suddenly we will realize just how close to eachother we have gotten and stop..." he said.

"oh...I see..." said his father thoughtfully.

"I do not understand it...I feel so strange when it happens...my face feels so warm even now..." he admitted.

Balbanes smiled softly. it was a knowing, understanding smile. "Ramza, I cannot be certain that this applies, but...I believe that love is blind. it knows nothing of age, or rank, or gender, or any other thing that can separate two people. you should always be careful who you hold dear, but the heart wants what it wants, no matter what our minds tell us. be patient with the one you love and with yourself. all things take time." he said.

Ramza gazed up at his father, trying to understand his words. it was then that things finally clicked in his head. did he...did he love Delita? was that why he felt this way? soon he felt his father's arms around him and he leaned forward into the man's body. "love seems...so complicated to me father..." he said, burying his head in his father's chest.

Balbanes smiled once more. "sometimes it is complicated, while other times, it is the simplest thing in the world...do not worry too much about it Ramza, you are all of 10 years old. you will have plenty of time to think more on love when you are older." he said.

that memory played vividly in his head. it had been through his father's guidance and kind words that he had come to realize his true feelings for the young man that he now held onto tightly. his father never openly admitted that he knew Ramza loved Delita, but he had known and he had helped make Ramza alright with himself for loving another boy.

after a while, he pulled back from Delita's arms. "forgive me, I...I am having trouble keeping myself together these days." said the blonde.

Delita shook his head. "it is alright. I understand completely." he said. he paused and looked at Ramza, gently reaching up to his face and turning it to face him. "Ramza...do not worry about what I would think if you ever become emotional. I could never think less of you for something like that." he said.

a pale pink blush graced Ramza's cheeks at the words. "I am glad to know that and I hope that after all these years together you know that I feel the same about you, Delita." he said.

Delita gave him a gentle smile and patted his shoulder before standing. "now then, are you ready to get back to training?" he asked.

Ramza nodded and stood up. "yes, Delita." he said, picking up his sword once more.

a few more days passed and Ramza seemed to manage to get his life back to normal, focusing once more on his duties. on the first day of January he was informed that the woman he had recommended to the Hokuten had joined their ranks as a mercenary and would be accompanying him and his troupe on their endeavors.

she smiled at him as their group banded together for the day, preparing themselves. "how are you feeling young one? I've heard some things recently...are you alright?" she asked, her voice gentle and kind.

he smiled slightly, grateful for her concern. "I am alright, thank you. much happened all at once and it had me overwhelmed at first, but now I am fine I think." he replied.

she patted him on the back. "good...if you ever need to though, you are welcome to come to my room at the inn, get drunk with me and cry." said Lyra.

he chuckled. "I will keep that in mind." he said.

they equipped themselves, Ramza with his rapier, Delita with his broadsword, and Lyra with her bow and arrows as well as her own sword. "right then. let's go." said Ramza. the others nodded and made their way out of the building together.

"where is it that we are going exactly, anyway?" asked Lyra.

"periodically we must patrol the nearby areas such as Mandalia plains to keep things safe for the townspeople and those that pass through them." said Ramza.

"I see." said Lyra simply. "well, if there is any danger, leave it to me to protect you." she said.

he raised an eyebrow at her words. "eh? you'll protect me?" he repeated.

she chuckled. "of course I will. I'd be a fool not to want to protect such a cute boy. I believe in chivalry, a strong woman should seek to protect gentle young men." she said.

Delita snorted in annoyance at her attempts to be charming in front of Ramza. he still didn't care for her assumed closeness to him. she glanced at him briefly as if to say 'get over it!' but quickly turned her attention back to the oblivious Ramza. "you sound so gallant when you talk that way...more like a knight than a mercenary...but do not worry over me, I am not helpless. I am a trained fighter, just like you, albeit far less experienced." he said.

"hff, in more ways than one..." muttered Delita.

suddenly Lyra's foot moved out in front of his own and he tripped over it, falling flat on his face. she bent over him, her hands upon her hips. "oh, I'm sorry...are you alright?" she asked in a false tone of concern before giving him a smug little smirk. he looked up at her in silent rage, his expression saying 'I'll get you, you bitch!'. her own expression held amusement, a look as if to say 'just you try it, boy...' Ramza looked between the two utterly bewildered.

he helped Delita back to his feet and the group continued on towards the plains. the others in the group seemed to notice the growing rivalry between Lyra and Delita and wondered why they were becoming as such. why...that was a good question...why _were_ they becoming rivals? Lyra held no romantic interest in Ramza, but Delita's possessiveness over the boy and Lyra's forward nature and inability to back down from a fight even if she cared nothing for the prize over which she fought was bound to cause them to butt heads like rams during rutting season.

when they got to the edge of Mandalia plains, Lyra smiled brightly at the area, playing with the bright blue gem that adorned her necklace. "it's beautiful here! so calm and peaceful..." she said, her eyes filled with child like wonderment.

Ramza smiled. "it is, isn't it? I must admit...I have always wanted to bring someone special here to watch the sunset with..." he said with a slight blush.

Delita's eyebrows raised at this new knowledge. he could do that...it was a rather simple desire. "will you watch one with me sometime?" asked Lyra with a smile.

"if you would like to, then of course I shall." said Ramza, smiling back. the brunette's eye twitched and he forced back down an angry scream that threatened to come forth. this woman made him want to tear his own hair out in frustration.

as they moved inward towards the center of Mandalia plains, Lyra's ears twitched and she frowned. "does anyone else hear that?" she asked.

"hear what? we're not dogs." snapped Delita, still irritated.

"that...don't you hear it? over there..." she said, pointing in the direction of the sound.

Ramza cupped his hands to his ears and listened carefully. he frowned slightly. "I can hear it too...it sounds like people..." he said. Delita's mood returned to normal at that and the group headed towards the sound that only the mercenary and their leader could hear.

as they approached, they could make out the sight of a group of men surrounding a boy their age. they moved in slowly and Ramza nodded to Lyra that she should raise her bow and she obliged, readying an arrow.

"he's still breathing...what'll we do?" asked one man to another.

"don't be stupid. we just need to get the marquis." said the other.

"right." said the first man. "hey, don't blame us, blame fate." said the man to the blonde boy that knelt injured at his feet.

before they could bring any more harm to the male, Lyra fired off an arrow, disarming the first man at a distance. "nice shot..." said a female cadet softly. Lyra smirked slightly.

"what the-? damn! the Hokuten knights!" cried the man. the enemies stood staring at one another for a moment.

"the death corps? they're attacking someone?" thought Delita aloud.

Ramza didn't even think about it. without a moment's hesitation, he gave them their orders. "don't disgrace the knights! saving him comes first!" he commanded.

at those words the enemy charged. the Hokuten and their mercenary let out a fierce battle cry and rushed forward. the cadets rushed after the enemies that were spread out farther while Ramza, Delita, and Lyra ran inwards to save the blonde youth they held captive. "reinforcements? thank god!" cried the young man, trying to get to his feet as hurt as he was.

"where do you think you're going?" asked one of the thieves, raising his blade to the male.

before he could bring the blade down, Lyra raised her bow once more and shot an arrow deep into his skull at a run. even Delita was impressed that she could run and shoot with such accuracy. in the few seconds of confusion that followed, Ramza rushed the other man and thrust his sword into his abdomen.

"the calvary's here honey, you'll be alright." said Lyra confidentally as she raised her bow to fire at the oncoming enemies. the male gazed at her for a moment, but said nothing, turning his attention to the battle at hand. he took the sword that they had taken from him back and readied himself to fight.

Ramza frowned at this. the male was obviously injured and was panting heavily, seeming to struggle just to stay standing. "stand down, you're in no condition to fight." he said.

the blonde male shook his head. "I am alright. so long as I am still breathing, I will fight." he said.

"but-!" started Ramza.

"Ramza, if he wants to fight, then let him fight. he has his honour to uphold after all." said Delita, kicking a thief off of himself as he tried to jump him. the blonde nodded. he could understand that logic.

more death corps came after them and they cut them down just as quickly as they came at them. suddenly Lyra reached back to her quiver but groped naught but the empty lining. "dammit!" she yelled, quickly putting her bow away and pulling out her sword. she ran at the nearest enemy and sliced him vertically, opening him wide as he fell away from her.

Delita rushed forward to join her, but Ramza stayed close to the injured male, standing protectively near to him. the two of them fought off whoever managed to get past Lyra and Delita without too much trouble. the male winced a few times from his movements, but he seemed to hold together alright.

Ramza drove his sword into an enemy's stomach while the injured male thrust his own blade into the base of the man's skull. they pulled away and let him fall. the long haired boy looked around. it seemed to be over. all that stood alive were his allies. he turned to the other boy looking concerned. "are you okay?" he asked.

"barely...but the marquis..." he said, grimacing.

"marquis?" repeated Ramza. "do you mean marquis Elmdor?" he inquired.

"yeah. who are you?" asked the other blonde.

"we're cadets from the military academy in Gariland. I think that we can help...please, tell us more." said Ramza.

the group put away their weapons and gathered closer to one another, the party's chemist gently helping the blonde male remove his armour and shirt so that she could tend to his wounds. "I am Argath...of the Limberry Aegis knights..." he said, wincing as the chemist brushed over a broken rib.

"a knight...?" asked Delita, surprised to hear that someone of their own age was already a knight.

"I mean, a cadet...like you all." he corrected himself.

"save for our mercenary." said Ramza, acknowledging the woman standing at his side.

"charmed." she quipped, winking at him, catching him a little off guard with her flirtatious attitude so unlike the women of their country.

"I'm Ramza Beoulve, this is Delita, a good friend, and Lyra." he said. Delita nodded in acknowledgement and Lyra grinned at him.

Argath's eyes went wide and he gaped at Ramza. "Beoulve...?...of the Hokuten?" asked Argath. the long haired boy nodded. "excellent! how lucky I am!" cried the older boy.

"huh?" Ramza uttered in a flat tone that proved he knew not why Argath was lucky.

before the youngest male could think, Argath had gripped his hand firmly in both of his, giving him a pleading look. "I beg you, please help me save the marquis!" he pleaded.

Delita frowned slightly. "what are you talking about?" he asked.

"the marquis is still alive! they've kidnapped him! he will be killed if we don't act fast! I don't know what I would do if..." Argath trailed off, unable to finish that sentence. "so please! help me, please!" he begged, clutching Ramza's hand so tightly it hurt.

Delita reached forward and placed his own hand upon Argath's. "relax. we don't know for sure if he'll be killed or not. there must be some reason for the death corps to take him. they might have made some demands." he reassured.

"besides, there is nothing that we can do at the moment. the marquis was kidnapped, and I'm sure by now everyone at Igros castle is up in arms." said Ramza, trying to pry Argath off of him without coming across as uncaring towards his concerns.

Lyra sighed and helped peel the male off of the poor boy. "calm yourself. if there is anything that we actually can do, believe me, we'll do it." she coaxed. Argath managed a slight nod.

"first, we should go to Igros and report." said Delita.

"alright. let's do that then." said Argath.

once the chemist had finished tending to Argath, the group readied themselves to move on. Lyra sighed and looked out into the vast plains. "it looks like our sunset will have to wait for another day, eh, Ramza?" she said.

he inclined his head in a slight nod. "it will be worth the wait I am sure." he said.

she smiled. "if it is in your lovely company, it will be." she said with a wink.

"L-Lyra..." he said her name with a blush creeping up on his cheeks.

she chuckled. "forgive me, I can't help it...you're too adorable for your own good." she said, patting him on the back.

they began walking and she sighed happily. "I am so lucky...I come to this land and good looking blonde men seem to fall from the very sky...the gods must have blessed me when I came here~." she said with a broad grin.

he raised an eyebrow at her bringing this up so suddenly. "you like blonde men?" he asked.

she nodded. "flaxen hair and sparkling blue eyes get my attention quite easily...it reminds me of someone from my past." she said with a giggle.

he chuckled. "I see." he said.

"you're blonde. the shade of blonde that he was too...it's lovely." she said. Ramza blushed slightly and smiled. "actually you remind me of him a fair bit...that same gentleness and wide eyed innocence I saw in him, I now see in you...it makes me want to protect you." she said.

the colour in his cheeks deepened. "I am flattered..." he admitted.

she grinned and ruffled his golden blonde hair. Delita gritted his teeth as he watched them walk together. sure, they were just being friendly, but that was _his_ friend. they did not even know this girl's last name, who gave her the right to just waltz in and act as though she and Ramza were life-long friends? she threatened him and he hated it, but Ramza was completely and utterly oblivious to it all as he often could be. his naivety was both incredibly endearing and irritating beyond all reason at the same time for Delita.

they headed to Igros castle and by the time they arrived, it was about noon. they went to see Ramza's brother Dycedarg and the man greeted them warmly as they were with his brother, inviting the four of them to lunch. "lovely~~something other than stringy rabbit meat and rodents for dinner..." said Lyra softly. Argath frowned at her. "you've eaten rodents before?" he asked.

she gave him a sheepish grin. "y-yeah, well, a mercenary does what she must in order to survive..." she replied.

"terrible...a woman should not have to suffer as such." he said. she smiled and patted him on the back.

"women are alot tougher than men seem to think...I don't know any man that could handle childbirth...and besides, I'm trained for this kind of thing. I could live off of bugs if I had to." she said. he grimaced at the thought of her eating bugs. "it makes good food so much more appreciated." she said.

"I'll bet." he replied.

when they were all sat down, Lyra waited impatiently for food, but the rest of them were more interested in speaking of what had transpired. "I hear you beat the first troops. I'm proud to be your brother. the senior statesmen spoke highly of you. you are truly descended from Beoulves." spoke Dycedarg to Ramza, his voice holding pride.

"...thank you." spoke Ramza softly. he did not much care for this kind of talk to begin with, but when someone else's life was in danger, it hardly seemed the time to gloat over his family name and personal accomplishments.

"aren't you happy?" asked his brother.

"oh yes, I am. thank you for the kind words." said Ramza before quickly changing the subject. "...you might have heard about the enemy attacking Elmdor's carriage and kidnapping him...what would you have us do?" he inquired.

"I've already had Zalbag send out a search party. they'll probably demand a ransom...if he's still alive." said his brother.

suddenly Argath stood and bowed. "highness. please let me have 100 soldiers!" he pleaded. Dycedarg stared at him. they didn't readily have those kinds of resources and even if they did, it was rather excessive to use that many troops in a single rescue attempt. "I beg you. let me avenge my comrades' murder!" he insisted. Ramza, Delita, and Lyra exchanged looks. they knew he was asking far too much in their position.

"I said it's taken care of. didn't you hear me?" asked Dycedarg, remaining polite, yet holding just the faintest bit of irritation in his words. "Gallione isn't any place for you. let us handle it." he said.

"b-but-!" started Argath.

"think of your rank, Argath! have you forgotten that you're just a soldier without rank of knighthood?" asked the older male. Argath gave an exasperated groan and sat back down.

with that settled, Dycedarg returned his attention to his brother once more. "I want you to guard Igros castle. it shouldn't be so difficult. 'danger' probably won't get this far." he stated, turning his attention to the food that was being brought in.

"so long as I am still paid, I will do whatever pleases you." said Lyra simply. Delita coughed. it would have been so easy to say another insult, but he couldn't in the presence of Dycedarg.

soon everyone's food was on the table and they ate together mostly in silence. on occasion Dycedarg would ask Ramza of how being a cadet was working out for him or something of relevance, but the banter was uninteresting.

when they finished, the boys and Dycedarg were staring at Lyra in utter bewilderment. she'd eaten at least 3 times what the rest of them had. she was by no means a large woman either. she blinked at them stupidly for a moment before she realized why they were staring. "don't look at me like that...I've been living off of small animals, alcohol, and whatever men buy me at taverns. if your meals were so few and far between, you would eat like a wolf too." she stated.

Dycedarg coughed. "well...then I suppose we'll all stick to serving the knights instead of becoming mercenaries..." he said, trying to brush off the fact that they were all so clearly living better than her.

she shrugged. "it's not always like this. sometimes you feast like royalty, sometimes you merely scrape by...it depends on where you are and what work is available." she said.

"even so, I would much rather be a knight..." said Argath.

she shrugged again. "to each his own." she replied.

when they bid Dycedarg farewell, they headed out to patrol the castle like they were told. as they walked across a bridge, Argath stopped and looked down. "...my family was once respected like the Beoulves." he said. they stopped and looked at him as he turned and gazed out at the water. "my grandfather was captured during the Fifty Year War...he sold his friends out to the enemy to save himself...but, as he left the castle, he got stabbed in the back by a cadet just like myself. one of my grandfather's friends managed to escape and spread the story around. of course my father didn't believe it, but everyone else did, they deserted him..." he said sadly.

he picked up a stone and tossed it into the water below. "rank...Dycedarg would never meet with someone like me..." he said sadly.

Lyra placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. he looked up at her, about to say something when they heard a girl's voice from across the water.

"Delita!" called the girl. they all looked up to see who it was. there stood two girls and a man. the girl that had called out had long, dark brown hair and a purple dress. the girl who stood next to her was Ramza's sister Alma, a blonde just like him with her hair held in a ponytail by a reddish pink ribbon, her dress was the same colour as the ribbon. the male was Zalbag, Ramza's other brother, his hair was an orangish blonde like Dycedarg's.

Delita's eyes lit up and he smiled brightly. "Teta!" he called out to the girl.

"Alma, Zalbag!" called Ramza at his own siblings. Alma waved happily at him before rushing down to the side of the canal and jumping onto a small patch of land that spread out far enough for her to run across and jump to the side of the water that they stood on. Teta and Zalbag quickly followed her.

Alma smiled at him warmly. "brother Ramza. you came back." she said happily.

he smiled at her. "yes. it's good to see you Alma." he replied. he then looked to Zalbag and gave a smaller but still welcoming smile. "long time no see, brother." he said.

"I heard how you beat those thieves in Gariland. that's worthy of a Beoulve. I'm sure father would've been pleased with you." said Zalbag.

"...thank you." said Ramza. it seemed to him that all his brothers wished to talk about was how his accomplishments were worthy of the Beoulve name. he particularily hated speaking of the thieves in Gariland as his first battle had not gone particularly well. he had hesitated after making his first kill and could have died were it not for the woman that was currently eyeing his brother curiously.

Zalbag chuckled. "heh...you haven't changed a bit. you don't like that much, eh?" he asked. Ramza looked down slightly. he couldn't help the way he felt about this. Zalbag then turned his attention to the brunette. "Delita, you look good. I heard about your role also. just look how happy Teta is." he said to the boy.

they all turned their attention to Teta. she was smiling at her brother. "Delita, I'm glad you're doing well." she said.

he smiled back. "and you also. how is your schooling?" he asked her.

"it is fine. everyone is so nice to me..." she said. Ramza and Lyra frowned slightly. her eyes had seemed just a bit sad when she said it, but it had been only for a second so the others didn't seem to notice.

suddenly Zalbag spoke once more. "I'd like to talk more with you, but I must hunt down some thieves. pardon me." he said.

"I pray for your victory." said Ramza.

Zalbag smiled, turning away and waving goodbye as he began walking. he jumped onto the landmass that he, Teta, and Alma had crossed and paused, looking back. "...the death corps have demanded a ransom." he said over his shoulder.

"what!" cried Argath.

Zalbag turned back to face them. "...I can't understand it. the death corps claim to be anarchists, but they only rob and hurt the nobility. it's hard to believe they would kidnap the marquis just for money." he said.

"absurd! they're nothing more than knaves, I say!" said Argath.

Zalbag looked away for a moment, then looked back. "the spy we sent still hasn't returned. he's probably in trouble, but the nobles say there's no need to search for his whereabouts." he said.

Ramza frowned. "where was he when you last heard from him?" he inquired.

his brother turned away once more, looking out at the water. "a trade city called Dorter, east of Gallione...guarding a castle is boring work, don't you think?" he asked before walking away.

Ramza stared. his brother was subtly encouraging him not to follow orders...why? why would he encourage this? Dycedarg would not be happy with him, but even so he wanted to go investigate.

"looks like we're going to Dorter." said Lyra. Argath nodded, turning away and leaving.

Delita looked to his sister. "Teta, I'm sorry. we must go." he said, moving closer to her.

she shook her head. "don't worry about me. just take care of yourself." she said, looking up at him with gentle black eyes.

he moved forward and embraced her, smiling softly as her own arms wrapped around him. "don't worry. I'll come back safely...so be a good girl." he told her.

she nodded and they parted. "I'll be damned...you can actually be rather sweet." said Lyra.

he snorted. "of course I can...just don't expect me to be that way with you." he said.

she laughed. "I wouldn't dream of it...still...it reminds me of when I used to have moments like that with my brother...I miss those days..." she said. her expression was a bit sad as she spoke of him.

"oh?" said Delita, looking at her curiously.

"yeah...I miss him...but he's...gone now, you know?" she said sadly.

Delita frowned slightly. "I'm sorry to hear that." he said. just because they had a rivalry going, didn't mean his heart was frozen to her.

"it's fine..." she said softly. she missed him badly, longed for his return, but she knew better than to expect him to come back at this point.

Delita turned his head and noticed that Argath was had only walked a little bit away. "well then, let's go Argath." he said. the male nodded to him and the three of them and Teta walked away, leaving Alma and Ramza behind.

Ramza began to follow them, but Alma spoke to him. "what Teta said is not true. actually..." she said, looking down.

Ramza turned back to her. "something wrong with Teta?" he asked.

Alma looked back up at him. "she has been picked on at school because of her rank." she said. Ramza looked at her sadly. poor Teta...he wished that he could do something for her but he didn't really know what he could do at the moment. "sorry...I shouldn't have worried you like that. Teta will be okay. I'll be there for her. trust me." said Alma.

"I'm not worried, not with you around...but don't you overdo it." he said with a chuckle. Alma would take care of Teta, he didn't have to worry about this.

she laughed. "me? you're the one going too far to meet their expectations. just be yourself and don't be restricted by your name." she said.

Ramza laughed. "you sound like our mother." he said in an amused tone. he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "take care, alright?" he said before turning and leaving.

she smiled at him for a moment, but as he left her standing alone, her smile faded into a concerned look. "Ramza..." she said softly, the wind picking up and blowing her skirt and hair elegantly around her. she was worried over him. he was so gentle, yet he was getting caught up in such serious things...she could only hope and pray that he would be alright in the end.

.~.~.~.~.

alright. there is our third installment.

so i'm using a new format since i've been told my old one isn't very good...i honestly don't like this one, but i figured i should at least try it. if i honestly hate it i can always switch back to the way i was writing before.

lol why did i make them sit down to lunch? i honestly am not sure...it felt a bit like they should in that big room that they were in...if Dycedarg wasn't a total dick, wouldn't he offer them a meal? hmm...maybe he would only be doing it to keep up appearances? *shrugs*

is it me, or does Argath look alot like Hitler? seriously, a hot, blonde Hitler! lol if you've played the game before, you will likely find this rather funny, if you haven't, you will see why him as a nazi is funny when we get there. *pats on the shoulder*

so next we'll go on to the rescue efforts. forgive me for not being able to get a chapter up everyday. i was trying to, but they're getting long now and i have school on top of that X_X i will keep trying to get up chapters swiftly though.

alright, review, no flames.

matane~~! ^-^/


	4. Chapter 4

blah. my brain is working so far ahead of me and i realized that whenever i use the little arrows on my keyboard they disappear as soon as i put this onto X_X i'll try to remember that they don't frickin' work and stop using them but forgive me if i forget since i use them alot.

alright, time to tell my brain to shut the fuck up and work on the part that we're on instead of other parts that come later...and yes, my brain still wants to pet the rabbits, but we're working through that. i've bribed it with halloween chocolate and cuddling with the dogs so it should be able to work now. we'll do our best to get through it all for love, for romance, for Ramza and Delita~! *glitters* oh, this couple makes me so sparkly~~ ^-^

i don't own the characters or story of final fantasy tactics. if you thought that i did, you're a silly billy~~ ;P

.~.~.~.~.

Chapter 4 The Rescue and Comprehending Love

the group walked through Mandalia plains and past Gariland without any trouble, but it was getting late by the time they made it to Sweegy woods. they walked through the area in silence, keeping close to one another as they made their way through the woods.

suddenly there was a rustling in the bushes and they all stood still. from the brush emerged a group of monsters. Argath growled. "what rotten luck. meeting monsters in a place like this..." he grumbled, readying his sword.

"don't gripe, Argath. it's better than guarding a castle." said Delita casually, more than happy to test his skill against the monsters.

"this is a matter of life and death! how can you say that?" asked Argath, shocked by Delita's lack of worry.

the monsters stepped forward and Ramza quickly took a fighting stance. "enough! here they come!" he yelled over his shoulder.

everyone readied themselves. Delita ran forward, striking down a goblin. a red panther rushed them, reaching out to claw Ramza but was shot down with a single arrow through it's skull. he looked back to Lyra. "thanks!" he called out.

she winked at him, raising her bow once more. "anytime, sweetheart~." she said in a light-hearted tone that had no place on the battlefield.

another goblin came at them but the party's wizard had been whispering enchantments and let forth lightning, electrocuting him and stopping him dead in his tracks.

next the bomb came at them, spreading it's flames forward, but they did their best to avoid the flames while fighting it. for a moment Ramza looked away, surveying the scene. he watched their chemist be knocked unconscious by a goblin but to his relief, Argath rushed in and killed the creature before it could do any more harm.

mere seconds later another panther rushed him, clawing his chest while he was distracted. he cried out, falling back.

"RAMZA!" Delita screamed, running towards him. he cut the panther down and grabbed the blonde by the shoulders. "Ramza, are you alright?" he asked, great concern in his eyes.

"I am fine Delita, I will live. focus on the task at hand." he said. he was glad to see Delita come to his rescue, but they were in the middle of a battle. he could swoon over his dashing hero later.

in the meantime Lyra and Argath had been fighting the enemy bomb. soon it made a groaning sound and began to back away from them. Argath began to run after it.

Lyra's eyes widened and she ran after him. "no, _wait!_" she cried. before he could attack once more she leapt, tackling him into the mud just as the bomb exploded. Delita grabbed Ramza protectively and held him close during the blast.

Lyra looked down at Argath with a glare yet obvious worry. "_idiot!_ I'm a foreigner and even _I _know better than to run up to something when it does that!" she yelled at him.

Argath glared back. "I am not perfect. I'm entitled to make mistakes just like everyone else." he said simply.

she sighed, brushing back her now mud covered hair. "just...just be careful next time, alright? I don't wanna see anybody die here..." she said.

he looked at her for a moment, then accepted her concern. "alright...I'll be more careful next time." he said.

she smiled and gently ran her fingers through his muddy hair. "I am glad...I'd hate to see them bury such a good looking young man before his time..." she said, back to her flirtatious self.

he blushed slightly. "you uh...you can get off of me, you know..." he said, feeling awkward having a pretty girl sitting directly on his crotch.

she giggled and got off of him, helping him up. "ugh, being coated in mud reminds me of my training days back home...you'd finish every day completely covered in dirt and mud and blood and sweat and gods know what else...you'd practically black out after you'd bathed and eaten." she said.

Argath gazed at her in wonder. "how old were you when you started training anyway?" he asked.

she shrugged. "they started training me as soon as I could walk, just like everyone else." she said simply.

the group stared at her. "that's...horrible...children shouldn't be made to train so young..." said Delita.

she tilted her head to the side. "well, maybe it's a bit extreme, but it makes us strong and capable of protecting ourselves when most children are utterly helpless in danger. if it weren't for being worked like a dog nearly every single day of my life, I wouldn't be the powerful warrior that I am now. I do not regret or resent the time that I've spent training." she said, trying to scrape the mud off of her skin tight, short blue dress.

when she finished speaking, Ramza groaned, falling forward a bit but catching himself. "Ramza? I thought you said were okay!" cried Delita.

Ramza looked up and smiled. "I...I am...it just...really hurts..." he admitted sheepishly.

"damn...there's nothing we can do...Lydia is..." said the brunette, looking at the unconscious chemist.

"i-it's alright...I will be fine...they're just scratches..." Ramza lied. they were deep and searingly painful.

Lyra looked at him with concern. "I can fix them if you'll trust me...take off your shirt and sit down." she said. he obeyed, removing his shirt and sitting on a nearby log. she walked over and knelt before him. they all watched. she gently touched his wounds, making him flinch a few times. she smiled warmly at him then leaned in and kissed one of the cuts tenderly. Ramza blushed furiously and Delita's mouth fell open. she would do something like this _now?_

she kissed each wound gently, sweetly and the boys stared at her in confusion. as she kissed a wound just above the blonde's left nipple, Delita snapped. he grabbed the woman by the hair and ripped her away from Ramza violently. "what the hell is wrong with you, getting your kicks _now_ of all times, you little bitch?" he roared at her.

she grabbed his arm and dug her nails firmly into his skin through his clothes. "I am _not_ getting my kicks, you prick! I am not some sick person that would take advantage of an injured person!" she yelled back.

Ramza looked quickly at his chest and then stood and pulled Delita off of her. "Delita, stop! look! they're gone! she wasn't doing anything wrong!" he said, still pulling on the male.

Delita looked down at the blonde's chest, eyes widening when he realized that he was right. not so much as a scar remained on his chest. "how did you...?" he started.

she smirked. "it's a rare form of magic from my homeland that bases itself on the user's will and emotion...a healing kiss. it's more affective than basic magic and it gets stronger depending on how close two people are. if two people have been through enough together, it can bring the dead back to life." she said, sounding rather proud that she was one of the few people that could do it.

"amazing! could you teach me how to do that?" asked Ramza hopefully.

she chuckled. "well I would try under normal circumstances, but I don't think your puppy would appreciate you practicing kissing on me very much." she said.

"puppy?" cried Delita, ready to kill her once more.

"I have to admit...you _do_ act an awful lot like a guard dog around him..." said their wizard dryly.

the brunette growled softly, folding hs arms across his chest. "I am _not_ a dog." he said bitterly.

"a-anyway, we just have to get through this forest, we're almost to Dorter." said Ramza, putting back on his shirt. he looked up at the sky. from what he could see through the dark branches of the trees, it was dusk. "however, I think that we should rest. it's dark and our chemist is unconscious. we won't be of any use in this condition." he said.

Argath shook his head. "no! we must go all night and rescue the marquis!" he insisted.

Delita frowned, looking up at him. "Argath, look at us. we're tired and hungry and Lydia is hurt...it would be suicide to try and save the marquis now." he said.

"but I-!" started Argath.

Lyra moved forward and took both of his hands in hers. "Argath, think about this...in as bad shape as we are now, we would be completely useless to the marquis...the enemy would pick us off one by one and crush us like bugs beneath their heel. I know that this is difficult for you, but you have my word as a Kinta warrior that as soon as morning comes, we will rush to his rescue." she said.

he gazed up at her in confusion. it felt strange being spoken to this way by a woman, having his hands held and her eyes focused on his. hesitantly he lowered his gaze. "I...I suppose that you all are right...we will be more effective if we have slept...I just pray that we make it in time..." he said softly.

Lyra smiled, no longer acting so serious and kissed his hand tenderly as a man would a woman's, making him blush slightly. "hey, I gave you my word that we'd be off in the morning, didn't I? we will do everything we can, so stop worrying your pretty little head about it." she said with a smile. suddenly she turned her attention to Ramza. "now then, do we have any food with us, or do we have to go hunting?" she asked him.

"oh. we have some food with us. I made sure we had something." replied Ramza, taking her off and showing her the rations that they had.

Argath turned to Delita, still a faint bit of pink left on his face. "why does she treat me as though I am a woman? for that matter, why does she act as though she is a man?" he asked.

"amazon." Delita grunted, his eyes on Ramza, worrying that he and the interloper might have another moment together if he didn't keep an eye on them.

"oh." said Argath as though that made everything make sense.

when everyone had eaten, Lyra grabbed Argath and dragged him off in the direction of the sound of rushing water, insisting despite his protests that he bathe himself just like she planned to. when they returned they were both nice and clean and Argath's face was a perpetual red that he couldn't seem to get rid of.

their wizard couldn't help chuckling slightly, his smirk hidden by the shadows of his hat. "have fun?" he asked Argath in an amused tone.

"I...I have never met a woman with so little modesty...really, getting naked in front of a man? she is...shameless!" he said softly. himself, he had refused to fully undress in her presence and she had teased him, but he insisted on keeping his pants on.

"I don't really think that mercenaries pride themselves upon their modesty, Argath." said Delita.

Argath sighed. he in no way denied having enjoyed the sight, but it didn't make it any less shocking to see a girl pull off her clothes and rush into a river without any care if he saw anything or not.

soon enough they all went to sleep. Lydia had awoken and was alright and now resting peacefully, Argath was laying curled up in a corner by himself a little ways away from everyone else, the wizard was sleeping beneath one of the trees, and Delita, Lyra, and Ramza were laying by their fire.

as Ramza closed his eyes, he suddenly heard a voice. "Ramza?"

he opened his eyes and rolled over to face Delita. "yes?" he asked softly, looking up into those chocolate brown eyes with his own gentle, honey coloured ones.

"...I was worried about you today...you need to be more careful in battle...that panther could have killed you..." he said, real concern in his eyes.

Ramza smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder. "do not worry my friend, I will be more cautious next time...I will not make the same mistake twice." he said.

as he pulled his hand away, Delita grabbed it and took it in both of his. "you had better...I do not know what I would do if you were killed...there would be an emptiness within me that no other person could fill...you...you could say that I would be...broken-hearted..." he said, just barely managing not to blush at his own words.

Ramza however, wasn't so lucky. his face flushed so that even his ears were a lovely rose colour. "D...Delita..." he said softly gazing up at the male. in that moment he couldn't resist his dearest friend. he leaned in slowly, attempting to kiss him.

"of course, no one could blame me...you're so close to me that you are like my brother..." said Delita.

Ramza pulled back before Delita could even notice the attempted kiss. "oh...y-yes, of course...I feel the same way." he said smiling, though he felt himself die a little inside. Delita thought of him as a brother...it would be too weird for them to kiss. he may as well be kissing Alma. "we should go to sleep now. it is late and we need to get up early tomorrow." he said turning back over. a single tear fell down his face, but he wiped it away quickly.

"you're right...goodnight Ramza." said Delita, not seeming to notice that Ramza was hurt.

"goodnight Delita...pleasant dreams." said the blonde, curling up and hugging himself.

Lyra, who had laid facing away from them the entire time, frowned. unlike Delita, she had heard the hurt in Ramza's voice when told that they were like brothers. he had feelings for him. it was clear to her now and she had her suspicions that Delita may feel the same way based on how protective he was of Ramza. she wondered to herself how she could possibly help them. she was, after all bound by the gods to help others according to their laws...and despite her dislike for Delita's attitude towards her, she did like Ramza and would like to see the sweet boy happy. she pondered this for a little while before she fell asleep along with the rest of them.

in the morning, they all got ready and headed off, no sign of the sadness that Ramza had felt the night before remaining. he had to be serious now, he couldn't just cry every time he was upset. that would be childish.

they arrived in Dorter and searched around for a while. they asked questions of the locals and investigated buildings in an attempt to find some trace of the marquis.

around noon, they all met back together to see if any of them had made any progress. "what have you found?" asked Delita.

"nothing yet unfortunately..." said Ramza. "what of the rest of you?" he asked.

Lyra shrugged. "not me, sorry..." she said with an apologetic look.

he looked to Argath and the other members of their group. they shook their heads. none of them had found anything. Ramza wrapped his arms around his well curved waist and looked down in thought. "it looks like the only place we haven't looked is the slums...let's go together then...we can split up and search more once we get there if need be." he said.

"right." said the others.

as they walked towards the slums, they suddenly heard voices. "Siyete! Siyete~~!" called a young woman.

"idiot! don't call her, she'll run away!" said another woman.

"shit!" growled Lyra. she looked around at the people in their group. first at Ramza. no, he wouldn't do. then at Delita. _hell no!_ then at Argath. perfect! she grabbed him, pulling him aside and kissed him passionately, keeping his body in front of her own. his eyes widened and he did his best to fight her off but it was utterly useless. Ramza, Delita, and Lydia gaped at the display, Ramza covering his mouth with his hands, while their wizard fell over laughing. meanwhile a group of women walked past them, seemingly not noticing Lyra for Argath being in her way.

she pulled back and sighed in relief. "thank god that worked..." she muttered.

Argath gaped at her, looking a mix of furious, embarrassed, and horrified. he'd just kissed a girl that wasn't a noble. he couldn't help feeling kind of dirty.

"what the hell was _that_ all about?" cried Delita.

the young woman gave an awkward laugh. "n-nothing! nothing at all!" she said, knowing full well that they all knew she was lying.

Argath coughed, his face still incredibly red. "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't use me as a distraction next time. I have my dignity, you know." he said, looking rather annoyed, yet trying to remain civil despite the offence.

she sighed. "fine, fine, I'm sorry..." she said, waving her hand absent mindedly.

"w-well then...now that that's...erm...settled...let's get going." said Ramza, still a little flustered by what he had seen.

"right." said the others. they began walking, Argath glaring slightly at the woman that had kissed him and Lyra ignoring it.

when they got to the slums, they found them to seem rather deserted. "where is everyone?" asked Lydia.

"who knows?" replied Delita. "this just might be where we're looking for if everyone has cleared out." he said.

suddenly they all heard speaking and they moved in carefully towards the sound. there they saw a man run from another and fall, the other man towering over him holding out his sword. "this is your last chance...where is he?" asked the one man, placing the tip of his sword to the other's throat. the other male said the location too softly to be heard and their words became hushed.

"wait!" called Ramza, making them both look up.

"damn, the Hokuten." growled the man that had just threatened the other. he quickly walked away from them before they could do anything.

"looks like our trip was well worth it." said Argath.

Delita wrapped an arm around himself and held his chin thoughtfully. "I've seen him somewhere before..." he said.

Ramza looked at him. "do you know him Delita?" he asked.

"I saw him at the end of the Fifty Year War in Igros..." said Delita.

before anything more could be said, enemy troops descended upon them. "I guess we must fight." said Ramza. he gave a loud battle cry and the rest of them followed his example.

the enemy charged, but their wizard acted quickly, producing a wall of flame between them and the enemy. Lyra shot off a multitude of arrows, picking off enemies through the flames. suddenly Delita's eyes widened and he looked back to Ramza. "now I remember! his name is Wiegraf. the leader of a volunteer army, a corps of death knights." he said.

Argath looked at him in shock. "what?...you mean he's the...?" he started.

"yes...the leader of the death corps." said the brunette.

Argath growled. he wanted to run after the man, but he was long gone and the flames prevented him from doing so.

suddenly lightning came down from the sky and struck their wizard. his hat flew off, revealing a blonde young man with a short ponytail and pale skin beneath. he cried out and collapsed, the flames that had protected them dying away. "Edwin!" cried Lydia. she rushed to him, kneeling by him, her new priestess robes flowing out elegantly from her body. she whispered words to him and light enveloped his body.

he gasped for breath and groaned slightly, opening his red eyes that only wizards seemed to have. "thanks..." said Edwin, smiling up at her.

she smiled back and put his hat back on him. "anytime Ed." she said.

"interesting...I didn't know that wizards had faces under there..." said Lyra in an absent minded tone before shooting down the enemy wizard.

Argath glared at her. "do you really think that _now_ is the time to ponder this?" he snapped.

"oi! don't be so obnoxious or the next arrow's going in _you,_ ya got that?" she threatened.

"both of you, stop it!" yelled Ramza, trying to keep the peace and fend off a fencer at the same time. he knocked the male back and slammed the hilt of his sword into the side of his head, knocking him unconscious. they could deal with him later.

the enemy archer took a shot at Delita, but the brunette dodged it and charged him, sinking his sword deep into his chest, clear through to to other side. he watched the male slump and fall, then looked around to see who was left. Lyra and Argath rushed the last remaining wizard and she shot an arrow through his skull just as the blonde stabbed through his heart.

all the enemies but the male Ramza had knocked out were dead. Ramza looked down at the male, who groaned softly. "maybe we can get some information out of him..." he said.

"good idea." said Lyra. she put away her bow and picked the man up, carrying him like a shepherd would a goat or sheep. she acted as though he barely weighed anything at all.

the boys stared at her. how could a girl like that carry a fully grown, armoured man? "you really are an amazon, aren't you?" asked Delita.

"damn straight." said Lyra with a rather proud look on her face. "now then, where are we taking him?" she asked.

they looked around a bit and found an abandonned building and went inside. Lyra sat the man down and Ramza got some rope and tied his hands behind his back. the woman lifted him to his knees and brushed his hair back with her hands. "rise and shine, handsome." she said with a small smile.

Delita, who was leaning against the wall, raised an eyebrow. "flirting with the enemy? that's low even for you." he said.

she glared at him. "you are quite good at mistaking my kindness for flirting...with that kind of logic, I'll bet you think your sister is madly in love with you." she said rather coldly.

the brunette narrowed his eyes. "leave Teta out of this." he said in a low tone of voice.

"what in the...?" muttered the fencer, looking around, his head throbbing.

all eyes turned to him and Argath stepped forward. "you must be a member of the death corps. where is the marquis? where is he being held? tell us!" he demanded. the man remained silent, looking at the ground. Argath continued. "your boss, Wiegraf was just here. where did he go!"

still the male said nothing. Argath growled. "y-you bastard! say something!" he cried, kicking the man. the fencer groaned and fell to the ground. Argath grabbed him by the hair and lifted his face up, drawing back his fist, ready to punch him.

"Argath, stop!" cried Ramza.

"damn." muttered Argath, hesitantly letting go of the male. he stood back up and the fencer got back up on his knees. "...listen carefully. in a moment, the Hokuten will begin to slaughter you. that's right, each of you are going straight to hell. being a thief sure pays, huh?...but you're lucky. you tell us where Wiegraf is going, and I'll let you live, okay?" he offered. he didn't particularly want to let the man live, but he would if it meant saving the marquis.

the fencer looked up at him and glared. "I don't know a damn thing." he said flatly.

Argath's eyes widened. before anyone could stop him, he kicked the man hard and sent him flying. "watch your language! never talk to nobles like that!" he yelled.

Lyra and Delita exchanged looks. why had he said not to speak to _nobles_ that way? he shouldn't speak to any of them that way in his condition. it seemed a bit off to them, but they didn't say anything.

the fencer looked up at Argath, a serious look on his now bruised face. "we're...not thieves." he said.

Argath's eyes went wide once more. "what did you say!" he shouted.

"...nobles never change. you think we aren't even human. we risked our lives in the war for this country...but you dumped us afterward...how are we different? birth? status? what the hell's rank?" he asked.

Ramza frowned. was this true? had the nobles really done this? he knew that many nobles thought better of themselves over others, but had they really forgotten about those that had fought in the war?

"you kidnap people for ransom! so don't act so great!" yelled Argath in anger.

the fencer groaned softly in pain. "kidnapping the marquis was not mr. Wiegraf's plan." he said.

Argath made a wordless sound of surprise.

"we'd never kidnap a VIP...for money..." said the man.

"then who? who kidnapped Elmdor?" Ramza inquired.

the man became silent once more.

"talk! if it wasn't you, then who else would do it?" demanded Argath.

the man was quiet a moment longer, then finally relented and spoke. "...Gustav." he said.

"Gustav? who the hell is he?" snapped Argath.

"Gustav Margueriff...captain of the 'death corps'." said Delita.

"so it _was_ you all!" cried Argath.

at this, the fencer sat back up once more. "no. we're fighting to beat you! we're proud that we fight for equality...we're different from Gustav!" he said.

Argath kicked the man in the face once more. "proud? bastards!" he cried.

"enough, Argath!" cried Ramza.

"_oi!_ that's enough!" yelled Lyra at the same time.

Argath turned and looked at Ramza for a moment before turning his attention back to the fencer. "so, where is this Gustav?" he asked.

"...'sand rat cellar'." said the fencer.

"sand ra-a-a-a-ts?" Argath attempted to repeat.

Delita pushed off of the wall and looked to Ramza. "Argath may not know what they are since he's not from here. 'sand rats' only inhabit the Zeklaus desert north of Dorter." he said.

Argath gasped softly. Ramza turned to face Delita. "was there a village between Dorter and Zeklaus desert?" he asked.

"not anymore, but there is a place where desert people used to gather..." said the brunette.

"Gustav and the marquis may be there." said the blonde to his friend.

Delita nodded. "yes, probably." he said.

"what's that mean?" asked Argath.

" 'cellar' means rat's nest." said Ramza.

Argath made another sound of surprise, staring at the long haired boy.

"alright. it looks like we should let him go now...we said we would after all." said Delita.

Lyra walked over to him and untied his hands and they walked the injured man back out into the slums. before he could leave, Ramza stopped him and held out a single potion to him. "I know that some nobles can be unkind towards those of lesser ranks, but believe me, we're not all terrible people." said Ramza.

the man took the potion, opened it, and drank it. "I've never met a noble that was actually kind towards us...but I suppose seeing you, I can no longer say that they are all completely heartless." he said.

Ramza smiled softly and they parted ways. he hoped that if they ever met again, it was not on the battlefield.

made their way through Zeklaus desert, walking through the sand. Lyra sighed happily. "this reminds me of where I was born...I was born in the desert part of the Kinta lands." she said.

Ramza looked back at her. "how many other lands do the Kinta have?" he asked.

she shrugged. "alot...some in the most vast forest in all of the land, some by the ocean, some in the desert of course, some on the plains, some in the land of ice and snow, and some in the more tropical places like the islands." she stated.

Argath looked back. "if your people have so much land, why would you come here?" he asked.

she chuckled. "have you no spirit of adventure? what I left behind I don't really think was for me. I need to travel the worlds there are in existance, see things with different eyes, make new friends, and expand my horizons. there is so much left to see that I don't know if I will ever return home." she said.

Ramza looked at her, tilting his head cutely. "what about your family? don't you miss them?" he asked.

she gave a bit of a sad smile. "well...my mother died when I was about 5, I've never met my father before, and my brother...well...you get the picture...the only family I have left is my grandmother and somehow she seems to understand my leaving...I think she wants me to come home, but at the same time she can see why I left." she said.

the blonde gave her a sympathetic look and rubbed her back. "I am sorry about that." he said.

she shook her head. "it's fine honey, don't worry about it." she said.

he smiled softly, taking her hand in his as they walked as a means of comfort. Delita's eyes narrowed. 'what the hell? he's not...starting to like her, is he?' he thought.

Ramza was indeed starting to like her, but not the way that Delita was thinking. he was starting to like her as a friend. she lived so openly when it came to her thoughts and emotions and he wished that he could do the same, but he knew better being a noble. even so, her open hearted nature drew him in and made him feel like family. he liked that feeling.

"look, I can see it." said Lydia, snapping Delita out of his silent anger. there were the ruins of a building sitting amongst sand and grass.

they approached cautiously. "oh, god! the Hokuten!" cried a man visible through a window.

"let's get the guard first, before the others find us!" yelled Ramza.

having no choice, the enemy came at them and they raised their weapons. a knight came at Delita, but the brunette headbutted him on the forehead, knocking him back. the knight groaned, trying to focus but his head was swimming now. Ramza took advantage of this and quickly cut him down. "I don't know how you do that Delita...you must have a skull as thick as a ram's." said the blonde.

Delita gave him an amused look. "are you saying I'm stupid?" he asked, knowing full well that's not what Ramza meant.

"well you don't always make the smartest of decisions..." said Ramza playfully.

"are you two ladies done talking? we've got a battle to fight!" cried Argath.

Lyra laughed, shooting down another knight. "calm down Argy, let them have their fun!" she called.

"'Argy'?" he repeated with such detest for his new nickname that she couldn't help but laugh more.

the enemy rushed in on them, two monks causing havoc for them as one went after Lydia and Edwin and another dodged Lyra's arrows and ripped her bow and blade away from her and cast them aside before slamming his fist into the side of her face. "Lyra!" cried Ramza.

she dropped to the ground and caught his feet between her legs and twisted, making him fall. "I'm fine! protect Lyd and Ed!" she yelled back.

he nodded and rushed to face the other monk, leaving Lyra to fight on her own. he tried to slash him, but each blow seemed to just slip past the young man. Delita tried to rush in and help, but the monk quickly turned and kicked him in the stomach, knocking him back. Argath was fighting a knight himself, he couldn't help them.

Ramza came at the man one more time. "Edwin, _now!_" he yelled at the wizard. as the blonde charged the monk, the wizard let fly a bolt of lightning. Ramza grabbed the male and pushed him directly into the path of the bolt. the male screamed and fell limp once the lightning had run it's course.

Ramza rushed over to Delita. "Delita, are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, just a little sore...come on, Argath and Lyra are still fighting." he said, forcing himself back onto his feet.

"right!" said Ramza. the two rushed to Argath's side, surrounding the knight.

"damn..." uttered the knight.

"prepare to die, dog!" said Argath. they clashed swords one last time and Argath yelled 'kill him!' at the two of them. quickly the two of them stabbed him in the back at the same time. they pulled out their swords and looked to Lyra. she was still fighting the last monk.

she tried to kick him and he blocked the attack. he tried to punch her and she grabbed his fist with one hand and punched him in the face with with the other. he stumbled back and she took advantage of it. she kicked him hard between the legs and as he fell she jumped on top of him, pummeling him. he tried to shake her off, but she grabbed his face and snapped his neck in one swift movement.

she sat atop him, panting for a moment. then she stood up and wiped the blood that had been dripping from her mouth off of her face. the fight had left her pretty banged up, but she was taking it better than most people.

"Lyra...are you okay?" asked Ramza tentatively.

she chuckled. "are you kidding? that was the best damned fist fight I've had since leaving my homeland! if I got a great meal and got laid tonight, it'd be a perfect day!" she said happily.

at the part about getting laid, Ramza gave a puzzled look but Delita quickly whispered what that meant and his eyes widened. he put his hands up in front of himself as if to say 'not it!'

she laughed. "no, I'm not gonna jump you, sweetheart." she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek and annoying Delita as always.

Ramza blushed and smiled, but his smile soon faded. "that took longer than I thought it would. they should be noticing right now..." he said.

"you're right...we'd better hurry." said Delita.

they all rushed towards the long building that remained intact. as they approached the doors they could hear a fight behind them. when they opened them, Wiegraf stood over a dead man, bodies all around them. "Wiegraf!" cried Ramza.

"marquis!" cried Argath, recognizing one of the bodies.

he attempted to run forward, but Wiegraf stopped him. "freeze!" said Wiegraf.

"you bastard!" yelled Argath.

"stop it Argath. yelling will do no good." said Delita.

"the marquis is alright. take him back to Igros." said Wiegraf.

Ramza stepped forward, confusion on his face. "what?" he asked.

"kidnapping wasn't our goal. we would never stoop to such acts. you can have the marquis if you just let me go...well?" he said.

so he was negotiating with them? it seemed like a fair trade to the rest of them, but Argath wasn't so willing. "don't trifle with us! you can't beat us!" he cried.

he attempted to run forth once more, but Delita put his arm out to stop him. "stop it, Argath. he's serious!" he said.

they carefully edged along the wall towards the marquis, Wiegraf edging along the opposite wall. they heard the marquis groan softly and turned to look at him. as they did so, Wiegraf ran for it. Ramza rushed to the marquis' side to see if he was alright, but Argath began to run after Wiegraf.

seeing his motions, Delita ran ahead of him and spread himself out to stand in his way. "let him go, Argath!" he said in a stern voice.

"why do you stop me?" yelled Argath, anger in his voice.

"the death corps will destroy itself! don't risk it!" answered the brunette.

"...ughh!" exclaimed Argath.

Lyra walked over to Ramza and the marquis. "is he going to be okay?" she asked.

"he's alright. weakened, but no serious wounds." replied the blonde.

finally giving up, Argath turned and came to look as well. Delita returned to his normal posture and ran a hand through his hair. "let's go back to Igros..." he said.

"yes..." said Ramza softly.

they lifted up the marquis and carried him back to Dorter. by the time that they got there, it was late, so they decided to stay at one of the nicer inns. once she was healed by Lydia, Lyra had a bath then came back to them looking quite pleased. "I feel much better now, don't you?" she asked the others.

"yes, it's always nice to relax after battle." said Edwin, sipping a pint of mead.

"ooh, can I have some of that?" Lyra asked hopefully. he nodded and handed her a pint of her own. "thanks love." she said, leaning in and kissing his nose, then briefly his lips, her face disappearing under his hat for a moment. she then sipped it happily.

Ramza came back moments later, having bathed as well. his hair was left untied, flowing elegantly behind him. Delita smiled and greeted him, inviting him to their table. he sat down next to his dear friend, sitting his elbows on the table and placing his chin upon his hands. "what have I missed?"

"me falling in love with Lyra?" joked Edwin. Lydia promptly smacked him on the back of the head, knocking off his hat for the second time today. everyone laughed and he sheepishly put his hat back on.

"that's very sweet Ed, but love comes from more than just a few stolen kisses." said Lyra.

Delita raised an eyebrow. "oh?...and what would you know of love?" he asked.

she chuckled. "you think just because I flirt and I'm friendly with people that I have never been in love? believe it or not, I do have a heart." she said, looking at him with just one eye open before taking another sip of mead.

suddenly Ramza was curious. "Lyra...what is love? in your opinion that is." he asked.

she blinked a few times. the others looked at her. she hmm'ed in thought. "love...no one has asked me that before...I think that we can all feel love, be it platonic or romantic. some people love selfishly, only caring for themselves and feigning love for another person to benefit their own purposes...there are people who only _think_ that they're in love as well...yet...that is not all that there is...there is also those who love with all their hearts, they give their love to others with reckless abandon...there is real love in this world, in all worlds...a love that seems to burn within you...it aches, it aches to be near them when you can't have them, yet the pain is greater being away from them. you need them in your life no matter what logic you or anyone else tries to use to tell you that you don't. real love goes beyond all reason and rationality, all laws and obligations, it transcends all barriers and leaves us helpless to fight it's will...it's not always perfect, but it means more to us than our very lives. if we were not put on this earth to love, then I do not know why we are here at all...love is the most precious gift we can give one another and we should feel grateful if anyone ever loves us for real..." she said.

the group stared at her in amazement. how was it that a teenage mercenary could hold such wisdom? "Lyra, that's...that's...beautiful!" exclaimed Ramza hugging her. "you've got such a good heart..." he said.

she smiled and hugged him back. "oh I do, do I?" she said thoughtfully.

Delita tilted his head to the side. "I must admit...to see things as such...there must be _some_ good in you..." he said.

she chuckled. "wow, that's almost a compliment." she said in an amused tone.

"don't get used to it." muttered the brunette.

she laughed, absent mindedly running her fingers through Ramza's hair.

the lot of them ate and drank together happily. Edwin eventually got drunk enough that he began flirting shamelessly with Lyra and she happily flirted back until he pushed things too far and Lydia slapped him, freeing him of his hat one final time and stormed off. the wizard quickly ran after her, trying to apologize. the rest of them stayed a while longer, but eventually turned in.

Ramza and Delita went to their room and the blonde removed his clothing and took a long shirt to sleep in. he did not notice Delita's eyes wandering his nearly naked, willowy frame, resting for quite some time on his backside, wishing his undergarments weren't in the way of his view.

"Delita?" Ramza suddenly asked, making the brunette jump, thinking he'd been caught.

"y-yes Ramza?" he asked, looking into his eyes as the blonde turned to face him.

Ramza paused to pull his shirt over his head and pull his hair out from under the collar. "do you think that what Lyra said of love is true?" he asked.

Delita shrugged. "I dunno, maybe...I'd like to think that it is, but I can't know for sure..." he replied.

Ramza looked out the window and sighed peacefully. "I think it is...I think that...maybe _I_ might actually..." he trailed off. Delita watched him carefully. what was he about to say? "Delita?" he asked once more.

"yeah?" asked the brunette more casually this time.

"do you think that...that _I _will be lucky enough to have someone love me that way one day?" asked the blonde hopefully. Delita walked over and hugged his friend tightly. "D-Delita..." said Ramza softly.

"if anyone deserves to be loved that way, it is you, Ramza." said Delita. he pulled back on looked down at his friend. he wondered to himself if he felt that way about Ramza.

the blonde blushed and smiled. "Delita too...you deserve to be loved that way too..." he said softly, gently brushing his hand against Delita's cheek.

Delita smiled back, then pulled away, sitting on his bed. suddenly Ramza frowned at him. "are't you going to change into your bedclothes?" he asked.

Delita looked down at himself. "right." he said. he stripped down to his underwear and got into bed.

Ramza got into his own bed, giving him a confused look. "don't you _have_ any bedclothes?" he asked.

"no, not anymore. I don't see the need for them." he said. Ramza gave him a funny look, then the brunette smirked. "actually it's getting pretty warm already...next time I might not wear anything at all..." he said with a slightly cheeky look on his face.

Ramza blushed furiously at the thought of a naked Delita. "D-Delita..." he said softly, clearly embarrassed.

"hehe if that's the case, I might just strut for you a little bit..." said Delita with a wink.

"oh, shut up, you big pervert!" said Ramza, throwing one of his pillows at the male, hitting him in the face.

they looked at eachother for a moment, then burst out in laughter. "goodnight Ramza." said Delita, still chuckling.

"goodnight Delita." said Ramza with a giggle. he laid down and nestled under the covers, closing his eyes. he loved Delita, but telling him could wait for another day. their friendship was too good to possibly spoil right now. when he told him, things would change completely, so it would have to wait until later.

it wasn't long until Ramza fell asleep. when he did, Delita walked over silently and sat upon the bed. "Ramza..." he said softly, running his fingers through those blonde locks of hair. "I wonder if maybe I love you that way..." he continued. he sighed softly. "if I told you, you'd probably laugh and not take me seriously...what am I doing, feeling this way about my best friend? what am I thinking feeling this way about another _guy_?" he asked more himself than the sleeping Ramza. "well...I guess I don't have to tell you quite yet at the least...sweet dreams Ramza..." he said. he then bent down and lightly kissed the blonde's cheek, got back into his own bed, and went to sleep.

.~.~.~.~.

alright. there we go, chapter 4 is up~!

does anyone else think that there's something wrong with my brain? while writing the fight scene in the desert i was listening to 'only the good die young' by Billy Joel...and in the second chapter during that tender moment between Delita and Ramza in the academy i was listening to the Glee version of 'toucha toucha toucha touch me' from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. lol my song choices are so weird.

also, since i'm probably going to have to put this up sooner or later...

Lyra kiss count

Ramza: 2 on the cheek, 5 on the chest

Argath: 1 on the hand, 1 on the lips

Edwin: 1 on the nose, 1 on the lips

she will probably kiss everyone if we give her enough time...XD physical affection is very common where she's from.

i would like to thank Sethy and SaR-ness for inspiring me with their RamzaxDelita artwork. thanks guys, it helps alot~ ^-^

also, i would like to admit that i was indeed calling Edwin just 'the wizard' cause it took me a half

a god damned day to name him. lol

alright so the next chapter won't entirely follow the story, but it'll still be good. i'm just trying to bring the time closer to February so it matches the date in the first chapter. :)

alrighty then, review please! i'm seriously not getting reviews yet lots of people seem to be reading this. X_X please review?

matane~~! ^-^/


	5. Chapter 5

alrighty, i'm flying by the seat of my pants now. a chapter that has almost nothing to do with the story...let's see if i can do it~! yeah! go me! let's rock it! *gets herself psyched up*

okay! let's roll! *gets ready to start*

i don't own the characters or storyline of final fantasy tactics, but i do own Lyra and my ideas.

this chapter is dedicated to Shalto for her birthday~~3 we love you, sweetheart~~3!

WARNING for masturbation and other mature themes! lol

.~.~.~.~.

Chapter 5 Biding Time and the Secrets We Hide

in the morning, Ramza awoke with a soft yawn. he looked around. Delita was already gone, most likely eating breakfast. suddenly, Ramza's eyebrows furrowed and he touched his cheek. he'd dreamt that someone had kissed him on the cheek that night. it felt incredibly real. he shook his head a bit and got up, getting dressed. no one could have kissed his cheek. only he and Delita had been in the room all night.

he got himself put together and went to the dining area. Delita, Lyra, Lydia, and Edwin were all sitting at one table, while Argath and the marquis were at another table. Argath was busy fussing over him, acting more like a servant than a noble or a knight. he'd stayed all night with the man, keeping a close eye on him for fear that there was danger lurking for the male around every corner now.

"Argath, you are a good young man, and I know that you mean well, but I honestly _can_ eat my breakfast on my own." said Elmdor with a weak smile.

Argath blushed slightly. "y-you're right...I'm sorry... please forgive me..." he apologized. Elmdor sighed, but said nothing, opting to eat his breakfast instead of telling the boy he didn't actually have to apologize for worrying.

Ramza chuckled slightly at Argath's devotion and went to join his friends for their meal. they talked and enjoyed eachother's company while they ate. Lydia and Edwin had apparently made up the previous night as they were sitting side by side, chatting happily. once again, Lyra ate at least 3 times what everyone else did and was working on a fourth helping of food. they gaped at her.

"good god...how are you not _twice_ my size?" asked Delita, shocked that she wasn't.

"dunno. I'm just...not..." she replied with a shrug.

Lydia folded her arms across her chest and huffed. "I hate you, you can eat whatever you want and never gain any weight!" she said, pouting.

Lyra laughed. "you sound like the girls back home...they hate me for this too!" she said in an amused tone.

when she was finished and the marquis was ready, they headed off through Sweegy woods once more. there wasn't too much trouble there, a few goblins came after them, but they defeated them easily.

Lyra groaned slightly, rubbing her stomach. "oof...I think somewhere between breakfast and now, I got pregnant..." she said.

Delita, who was walking behind her smirked. "with the way that you carry on, I wouldn't be surprised..." he said.

she whipped around and smacked him hard over the head with her sword's scabbard. "bad dog!" she scolded before turning and walking once more.

the brunette growled, reaching for his sword slowly. "Delita, stop it." said Ramza, pulling his hand away. as soon as he let go, Delita's hand moved back to his sword. the blonde rolled his eyes and grabbed his hand again. "honestly, do I have to hold your hand the entire way to Igros like a child?" asked the blonde.

Delita paused, thinking that this was actually quite a good opportunity. "you may very well have to." he said, still sounding angry despite his thoughts.

Ramza sighed. "fine, act like your 3 years old." muttered the blonde, now walking with him hand in hand.

the brunette smiled slightly, pleased with himself. Lyra looked back and smirked a bit. 'what do you know? I actually helped...' she thought, feeling quite pleased with herself for indirectly assisting them. Argath frowned at the fact that two boys were publicly holding hands, but he didn't say anything as the marquis hadn't noticed it.

Ramza's expression was stern at first, but Delita soon laced their fingers together and he slowly began to smile.

they walked together that way until they got to Gariland when Argath finally spoke up. "don't you think that people would find it odd to see the two of you holding hands like a couple?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

the boys looked down at their hands. Ramza blushed furiously and they both pulled their hands away as though they'd touched something poisonous. "I...I uh...forgot..." said Ramza, pretending that he had.

"me too." lied Delita, looking away so that no one would see that he was actually blushing too.

Lyra rolled her eyes. "idiots..." she muttered. even for two people in love, they were acting rather stupid in her opinion.

they walked through Gariland without much conversation, continuing their way to Igros.

when they got to Mandalia plains, Argath stopped them. "we should rest for a while, we shouldn't overwork the marquis." he said.

they all agreed and sat down. Lyra relaxed in the grass and pulled out of her backpack a large, shiny, greenish blue oval-shaped ball. Ramza stared at the object. "what is that?" he asked curiously.

she smiled. "it's an egg...it's so big, isn't it? I wonder what's inside of it...I've been taking care of it for about a month now." she said, gazing at it thoughtfully.

Ramza smiled. "it looks interesting...can I touch it?" he asked.

she nodded. "yeah." she said, holding it out.

the blonde removed his glove and placed his hand upon it. "it's so...warm..." he said softly, looking down at it.

she chuckled. "I know...I think it's 'cause it's alive..." she said. he smiled and sat with her, curiously feeling the egg. after a moment, Lyra began to sing in a language he couldn't understand, her native language. her voice was beautiful, melodic, enchanting. he sighed peacefully, petting the egg slowly as though it were a living pet. Delita watched them carefully, but couldn't help relaxing as well as he listened to the peaceful song.

they were enjoying themselves, relaxing together when suddenly Argath came over and interrupted them. "Lyra, the marquis is hungry. it's lunchtime. I saw some rabbits out to the west. go catch one so that we have something to eat." he commanded.

her eyes narrowed. "can't you at least say please if you're making me do your dirtywork?" she asked in a cold tone.

he sighed slightly. "very well. could you _please_ go get us a rabbit?" he asked.

"oh, fine...Ramza, hold my egg for me, would you?" she asked, holding it out.

he nodded, taking the egg from her and holding it close. he watched her take out her bow and run off in the direction of the rabbits. when she was gone, his eyes turned to the egg and he watched it with wonder. "what are you? a chocobo, or something else?" he asked the egg.

"we won't know until it hatches." said Delita, coming just a bit closer, but not sitting down.

"I wish I knew now...it's so fascinating..." said the blonde, stroking the shell.

Delita chuckled, turning away from him and folding his arms across his chest as he so often did. Ramza watched the egg. 'now...what was the song that Lyra was singing to you? I don't know the words, but...' he thought. before he could think much more on it, he parted his lips and began to vocalize the song to the egg. he didn't really sing much ever since one of his brothers mistook him for Alma a few years back, but the only person listening was Delita so he didn't think that it would matter.

the moment the song passed his lips, the brunette's heart stilled. he had no idea that Ramza could actually sing. he'd assumed that he couldn't since he never did. he smiled softly to himself. it was just another reason to love the blonde boy. he closed his eyes and listened to the song in silence.

after a while Lyra returned carrying a fat, dead rabbit. Ramza stopped singing and walked over to her, carrying the egg with him. "you caught something that fast?" he asked, impressed.

she laughed heartily. "what can I say? I'm just that good, honey~!" she boasted. he giggled at her answer. she paused for a moment, looking up briefly to Delita as he approached, then back to the blonde. "by the way...who was singing? I could hear it on my way back." she asked.

Ramza blushed. he didn't really want to answer that. Delita however had no problem answering for him. "it was Ramza." he said, patting the boy on the shoulder.

"really? that was lovely, Ramza~! I didn't know you could sing!" she said happily, making him blush more.

"I don't...I don't really like to sing very much...I sound like a woman..." he admitted.

Lyra chuckled. "there's nothing wrong with that. I know plenty of men who can't sing at all. your voice is wonderful." she said.

he looked to Delita and the brunette nodded in agreement. "it was good." he said simply.

the blonde smiled slightly. "I still have no intentions of letting everyone know it..." he said softly.

the woman smiled and ruffled his hair like always. "well, that's entirely up to you...come on now, let's go get this cooked." she said, holding up the rabbit.

"right." said the boys.

they went to where Argath and the marquis were and went about getting lunch ready. once it was ready, they ate, talking about unimportant things like they often did.

when everything was finished, they put out their fire and walked the rest of the way to Igros. although everyone else was relieved to see that the marquis was safe, Dycedarg was not nearly as pleased with them and demanded that they come see him immediately.

"what happened? why did you go to Zeklaus desert?" he asked, his expression quite serious. Ramza said nothing, looking down at the ground. "explain to me..." insisted Dycedarg in a dangerously calm voice.

"I forced Ramza to go with me." Delita suddenly said. Ramza looked up at him in surprise. why would he lie for him like this? why take all the blame?

"is that true, Ramza? Delita forced you to go?" asked Dycedarg.

Ramza looked to his brother and shook his head, his ponytail swinging rapidly behind him. "...no, it was my decision. not Delita's." he stated.

Delita shook his head just once. "Ramza's lying. I was the one to..." he began.

Ramza turned his head to face the brunette. "there's no need to protect me. I decided to ignore an order!" he insisted.

Dycedarg scowled. "if everyone acted lawlessly, how could 'law' exist? we Beoulves must show the importance of observing the 'law' as the knight's rule. are you _trying_ to ruin the Beoulve name?" he asked, anger clearly in his voice.

"...I'm sorry, brother." said Ramza, once more hanging his head.

"all of you, you have directly defied my orders...do you not realize what could have come of this?" he asked, his voice slowly getting angrier.

suddenly another man's voice came. "that's enough, Dycedarg." he said. as the man entered the room Delita and Ramza automatically knelt. Argath stared a moment before kneeling as well. seeing her still standing, the youngest of them pulled one of Lyra's legs and she too knelt when he did. the man spoke once more. "he was a great help rescuing the marquis. I know that young soldiers are eager to succeed. so are we." said the man.

"don't spoil him, my prince. there's a line between right and wrong." said Dycedarg.

the man ignored this and adressed Ramza. "so, you are Dycedarg's younger brother...relax. you look exactly like the late general Balbanes...a fine looking young man." Ramza stood, blushing slightly at being told that he looked like his father. he'd always thought that his father was far more handsome than he was. "I'm sure that youthful energy didn't come from just guarding the castle..." said Larg.

Dycedarg sighed softly, relenting to the other man's wishes. "the mission is nearly complete. I'll allow you to join. once we find them all, we will attack the thieves' hideouts. when that time comes, you will choose one of them." said Dycedarg.

"...yes." said Ramza.

they turned to leave but then Dycedarg spoke once more. "miss Lyra..." he started, taking a tone that implied punishment.

"oh...crap!" said the woman so softly that only the people nearest her heard her speak.

"seeing as you did not do the job that I hired you to do, I am certain you know that I cannot pay you." he said.

"yes, my lord..." she said, hanging her head, her voice holding a trace of disappointment. she needed the money and this meant sleeping in an alley somewhere tonight with whatever rats she could find nearby as her meal.

"...but..." he said thoughtfully. she looked up at him once more. "seeing as you were protecting my brother according to the report, I will look the other way just this once and allow you to remain in our services." he said.

her eyes lit up and she smiled brightly for a spilt second before quickly taking on a more serious look in an attempt to act the way she should in the presence of both him and the prince. "you are most kind my lord." she said, still trying to hold back a big smile from showing.

he smiled slightly at her enthusiasm. "just see to it that you follow _my_ orders this time and not my brother's...you are dismissed." he said.

"yes, sir." she said, exiting the room with the others.

when the doors closed, Dycedarg's faint smile faded. "I'm sorry." he said as the prince walked towards the window. Lyra's ears pricked forward and she stopped. "don't apologize, Dycedarg..." Larg began.

'apologize? what does he have to apologize for?' she wondered.

"Lyra, come on!" called Ramza.

she blinked. "o-oh, yes!" she said, running after them. she shouldn't be listening in on their conversation anyway. it wasn't her place when Dycedarg was being so gracious after she directly defied an order.

if only she had stayed and listened...she would have learned the truth of what had happened...

when she caught up, she groaned, wrapping her arms around the long haired blonde and slowly sliding down his body until he grabbed onto her and held her up. "praise the gods that he let me stay...it's so hard finding work that pays this good..." she sad weakly. it seemed that nearly losing her job had taken all of the energy out of her.

Ramza chuckled. "it is very fortunate that my brother can be so reasonable at times...I think that he was only so lenient with us because the prince was there though." he said.

"lucky for me then." said Lyra. she pulled away from him and stretched a bit. "well, even so, I'll need to find somewhere to sleep for tonight..." she mumbled, looking around for a nice, quiet place to settle in for the night.

Ramza's eyes widened. "you're not planning to spend the night on the streets, are you?"

she shrugged. "I've had worse nights. sleeping on the streets isn't too bad." she said. she didn't really mind it anymore. she'd done it enough times that it didn't really bother her that much now.

the blonde frowned. "that's terrible...I can't let a woman sleep on the streets...you should stay with my family." he said.

Lyra's eyes lit up, but Delita damn near burst into flames. she was going to stay with Ramza. _his _Ramza. if she tried anything on him, he'd _kill_ her. Lyra hugged the blonde boy, kissing both of his cheeks and nuzzling his neck. "you're such a sweet boy~~. I wish there were more people like you in the realms." she said happily.

Ramza blushed deeply at all the attention. "y-you're welcome...it's nothing really though...my father taught me to act this way." he said shyly.

"then he must have been a truly great man...I think that you are becoming one as well." said Lyra happily, making the blonde's face get even redder.

Delita gritted his teeth. "the late general Balbanes was indeed a great man. if anyone were to taint his legacy, I would strike them down with my own hands." spat the brunette.

Ramza remained utterly clueless to what Delita was talking about, but Lyra's green eyes narrowed. "I can assure you that nothing will so much as _touch_ his legacy in my presence." she said in a harsh tone.

they glared at eachother for a while, but finally Delita snorted and looked away. "I should go see how Teta is. I will see you tomorrow Ramza." he said. he nodded his head to acknowledge the rest of them, then stalked off.

"why is he so angry all the time now? I don't understand it..." asked the clueless blonde.

the rest of the party groaned. how could he be so blind? "come on dear, let's go. you need to show me your home, right?" said Lyra, changing the subject.

"oh, yes, right." he said, shaking the confusion from his head.

they bid the other members of the party farewell and he brought Lyra to castle Beoulve. she stared up at it in amazement. "you live in a castle?" she asked.

"yes. come see!" he said happily, taking her by the hand and leading her inside. he showed her all around, the two of them laughing like children during the entire tour.

by the time he'd shown her everything, it was time for dinner. he took her to the dining hall where Alma was waiting. "it's good to have you back, brother..." she said with a smile. she then looked at Lyra. "I'm sorry, I don't believe that we have been introduced...I am Alma." she said, curtsying.

Lyra watched the new gesture curiously, having only ever heard of women doing it. "I am Lyra, it is lovely to meet you, lady Alma." she said. she gently took Alma's hand, kissing it and making the girl blush furiously. she'd had men kiss her hand plenty of times, but never a woman.

"o-oh, um...th-thank you..." said Alma shyly.

Ramza smiled at his sister. it was rather cute how she had reacted. then again, people always seemed to have entertaining reactions to the amazon woman. suddenly Lyra's eyes drifted to a painting and she smiled brightly. "is this your family when you were a kid?" she asked.

"yes, it is. that's Alma and I in the middle by our father." said Ramza.

Lyra giggled. "you were so cute as a child! you're still really cute now of course~~." she said happily, making him blush.

as Lyra looked at the painting, Alma came closer to her brother. "I am surprised with you, Ramza. she is different, but she's very pretty and friendly. I like her." she said.

Ramza smiled. "she's lovely...but why are you surprised?"

"well, it's just I never actually expected you to bring a _girl_ home is all..." she admitted.

the long haired boy raised an eyebrow. "why wouldn't I bring a girl home? why is that so surprising?" he asked, utterly confused.

Alma blushed. "w-well, it's just...you've never shown much interest in women, or even men really, I never expected you to get a girlfriend..." she finally said.

honey brown eyes went wide and elven ears pricked forward. "_GIRLFRIEND?_" both he and Lyra cried. Ramza turned crimson and Lyra fell over laughing, accidentally knocking over a chair as she fell.

"A-Alma! she is _not_ my girlfriend! we're just friends and comrades in arms!" he insisted, flapping one arm and holding the other close to his chest.

meanwhile Lyra was absolutely dying of laughter. "h-he's like a li-little b-brother!" she managed out, holding her sides.

"c-calm down, Ramza! I'm sorry! it's alright!" Alma attempted to soothe, grabbing her brother by the shoulders.

Ramza whined pitifully. how could she just assume that Lyra was his girlfriend? after a while Alma finally succeeded in calming her brother and they all sat down for dinner. "Zalbag and Dycedarg have decided not join us yet again?" asked Ramza.

"no, Dycedarg is dining with the prince and Zalbag ate earlier and went to bed." said Alma.

"oh, I see." said Ramza. it seemed lately that all of his meals were eaten with just him and Alma at the table. not that he minded at all. he enjoyed spending time with his sister. now that his father was dead, she was the member of his family that he was closest to.

they ate their meal, chatting happily. Lyra regaled them with wild tales of her adventures as a mercenary, including one particular night where she and a handsome young man were stripped of their clothes, locked in prison cells, and sentenced to die. how they had to fight a group of powerful warriors and their fearsome, ghoulish leader unarmed and bare naked, escaping having found only their weaponry and running through town without so much as shoes upon their feet. "I was so glad that we were alive, I just jumped on him and hugged him and kissed him all over! I've never seen anyone turn so red in my life!" she said with a laugh.

the siblings blushed at the thought of it, then burst into laughter. "my god! I can't believe that things like that actually happen!" said Ramza.

"unbelievable!" said Alma, still giggling.

"you wouldn't believe some of the things that have happened during my travels!" Lyra said in an amused tone.

suddenly they heard bells in the distance. it was getting late. "we should get ready for bed..." said Ramza.

Alma yawned softly, covering her mouth with her hand in a dainty sort of way. "yes, you will no doubt have to go on patrol again tomorrow." she said.

Lyra stretched herself out in her chair. "mm. most likely we'll have to. it was wonderful meeting you, lady Alma. sleep well." said Lyra. she then got up, bowed to Alma, gave Ramza a quick kiss on the cheek. "sleep well, cutie." she said before heading for her room to take a bath.

"she's quite nice, isn't she? much louder and far more forward than any woman that I have ever met, but she's quite pleasant to be around." said Alma.

Ramza smiled. "she is. I'm growing quite fond of her." he said.

"...and you are certain that there is nothing between you two?" asked the blonde girl.

Ramza chuckled slightly. it seemed a bit amusing now that the idea had settled in. "Alma...she's a wonderful woman, but she is like an older sister to me. we're just friends, though I'll admit that we made friends quite quickly." he replied. they were friends and nothing more, it was as simple as that.

after talking just a few minutes more, Alma and Ramza went to their rooms. the young man bathed and changed into his bedclothes before getting into bed. as he laid there trying to fall asleep, he heard a knock at the door.

"Ramza? are you still awake? I can't fall asleep." came Lyra's voice.

"I'm awake, you can come in." he replied.

she opened the door and walked in. she wore a silk, pale blue nightgown with a low cut front and slits up the sides. he blushed slightly. he may not be attracted to her romantically, but he could recognize that she was quite good looking. she walked over and sat beside him on the bed. "I'm not bothering you, am I?" she asked.

he shook his head, his long blonde hair flowing gracefully with each movement. "no, I couldn't sleep either." he said.

she smiled. "I wouldn't want to impose..." she said.

"you aren't, don't worry about it, Li." he said, calling her rather casually for a change. it _was_ just the two of them after all.

she chuckled softly at the use of her nickname. for a while they chatted about normal things. life and their work and their next mission, but after a while, Lyra paused, giving a cautious sort of look, about to touch on what she felt could easily be a tender subject. "Ramza? can I...ask you something personal?" she asked tentatively.

he thought about it, then smiled. "alright, so long as I can ask something in return." he said.

she nodded. "...how...do you feel about Delita?" she asked. for a moment, his heartbeat stopped. when it returned he blushed furiously. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry, it's just...I've noticed some things is all...maybe I'm overthinking..." she said quickly.

Ramza looked down at his hands, clasping them together. he gulped before he spoke. "Delita is...a very good friend...we have been close ever since we were children and I...that is...over time, I have...begun to feel something that I'm not entirely sure that I should for him..." he said. he looked up at her, his face still quite red. "Lyra, I...I think that I am in love with him...I am...quite sure that I am actually..." he admitted. he paused for a moment, looking away. he'd never actually said it out loud before. after a moment he looked back. "is that...is that bad? he is a boy, and my best friend...is it wrong?" he asked, looking slightly sad at the thought that it could be.

she smiled a warm and gentle smile and embraced him, holding him close. "there is nothing wrong with it, nothing at all. there is absolutely nothing wrong with two boys being together, and friendship can easily blossom into love." she said.

he smiled softly and wrapped his own arms around her. "I am glad that you think so...I wonder about it from time to time..." he admitted. then he sighed softly. "...but I...I suppose it doesn't really matter...he thinks of me as a brother anyway..." he said sadly.

Lyra laughed. "oh, I don't know about that...the way he is with you, how protective and possessive he is of you, I would be surprised if he just thought of you as a friend." said the woman.

Ramza looked up at her. "really? you think there's a chance?" he asked hopefully.

she nodded. "I think so. I'd be pretty shocked if I was wrong." she said. he smiled softly. she hugged him closer and the two slowly laid back, staring at the ceiling. "so what is it that you want to know from me?" she asked.

he thought about it for a moment. "what is it like to kiss someone?" he asked, a shyness in his voice.

"you never have?" she asked.

he blushed deeply. "w-well, no...I...I want to wait to kiss someone I am in love with. I don't want to kiss just anybody, I want to be completely in love with the first person that I kiss." he admitted.

she smiled softly. "you really are a sweetheart..." she said, bringing a hand up to play with his hair. "well, the way it feels depends largely on who you're kissing...but a good kiss is usually soft and a little wet. a chaste kiss is sweet and innocent, you only kiss the person for a few seconds...but a more passionate kiss is wetter and sooner or later someone usually slides their tongue into the other person's mouth. personally, I love being connected to someone else that way." she explained.

he blushed at the thought of Delita's tongue slipping into his mouth. after a moment, he looked at her curiously. "how many people have you kissed?" he asked.

she laughed. "oi, oi, I thought the deal was you'd just ask me _one_ personal question..." she teased.

his blush intensified. "y-you're right, I'm sorry..." he said quickly.

she smiled, hugging him once more. "it's alright...honestly, I'm not sure how many people I've kissed now...it's pretty common for my kind to kiss as a friendly gesture." she said.

"oh, I see..." he said. he rested his head on her chest. he was getting a little tired now.

"hehe, my first kiss was this cute little raven haired boy with big blue eyes like the sky...I was 3 years old and he was just about 2 years older than me..." she said.

the blonde looked up at her curiously. "that young?" he asked.

she chuckled softly. "yeah...it just seemed natural to me..." she replied. "I liked him for the longest time...everyone thought that we might grow up to get married, but we ended up realizing that we were really just good friends. I haven't seen him in years." she said.

Ramza made a soft noise to show that he was listening. he was falling asleep. Lyra smiled down at him. "should I go so that you can go to sleep?" she asked.

he shook his head a bit. "no...I like this...when I was small I would crawl into my father's bed and he'd talk to me or tell me stories until I fell asleep...well, when he was home anyway." he admitted.

Lyra smiled down at him warmly. "that's very sweet...I used to do that with my brother since my mom was usually in other cities...her job had her travelling alot, but she didn't want to move us all the time...he was a fair bit older than me, but he didn't seem to mind his kid sister getting into bed with him night after night..." Lyra spoke for a while, but it didn't take too much longer before Ramza fell asleep. she smiled softly at him. "you look so cute sleeping..." she said softly. she meant to get up and go to her own room, but she closed her eyes just for a second and fell asleep herself.

in the morning, Ramza slowly opened his eyes. he heard something soft beneath his head. suddenly he remembered who he was with. he'd fallen asleep with his head over Lyra's heart. the woman yawned and the hand that was laced into his hair began to play with it once more. "good morning sweetheart...it looks like I fell asleep with you." she said softly.

"mmn...it would appear so...I wonder what time it is..." he said. after a moment, he smiled and cuddled closer to her. "can we stay like this for a while? I haven't been able to do this with anyone in a long time..." he asked with a slight blush. he felt a little awkward asking a woman to lay in bed with him.

"I don't see why not...it's nice cuddling with you...it's like I have a little brother now..." she said, wrapping her arms around him properly.

suddenly the door opened and they looked up. "oi, Ramza, just how long are you planning to-." started Zalbag. both he and Delita stood in the doorway. they stared for a moment, finding it hard to believe what they were seeing. Zalbag's expression turned into a bit of a smirk. "well, it would appear that the youngest son of the Beoulve family has become a man overnight...I didn't think you had it in you!" he said with a laugh. "of course, this information can't leave this room...it would cause quite a scandal for such a thing to happen to a noble outside of marriage...but Delita won't tell, will you?" he asked the brunette, patting him on the back.

Delita's eyes were wide with horror. he thought rather little of Lyra and wouldn't have been surprised if she'd come on to Ramza, but never in his life had he expected the blonde to actually _accept_ her advances. he turned quickly and stormed off.

it took the two in bed a moment to realize what was being spoken of, but when they realized, Lyra gave them a funny look and Ramza's eyes widened. "wait, _what?_ no!" cried Ramza. he leapt out of bed and ran after Delita, Lyra staying behind to explain the situation to Zalbag. he ran as fast as he could until he caught up to the brunette. "Delita, wait!" he said.

the dark haired boy turned, his eyes filled with anger. "I can't believe you...you act so sweet and innocent, yet you just jump into bed with a girl you've only known for less than two _weeks?_ what the hell is _wrong_ with you?" he snarled.

the blonde shook his head vigorously. "no! I never-." he began, but Delita would not hear it.

before he could even register the other boy's hand having raised, the brunette delivered a hard, backhanded slap to his face. he slowly turned his head back to face his friend. "D-Delita..." he uttered in a small voice. his eyes watered. why was Delita so angry with him? why wouldn't he listen to him?

"do you think it's alright to act this way? to just fuck somebody 'cause it doesn't matter? to just find pleasure wherever you can 'cause that's all that's important? to think I thought I knew you...I never would have imagined that you were a dirty little slut! I expected this kind of behaviour from _her_, but from _you?_ your father would be so ashamed!" he spat.

tears spilled forth from gentle, honey brown eyes. the blonde's trembling hands lifted up to hold the brunette's face. "D-Delita...p-please..." he begged, trying desperately to get the words out when his body was commanding him to cry like he had when his father had died.

"I don't believe this..." growled Delita, pulling away from him and resting against the wall, looking away from the blonde. it hurt so much to think that Ramza had just given his virginity away without a single thought. it had crushed his hopes for their future entirely. truth be told he had been offered sex a few times recently by mostly female cadets and by one male as well, but he had refused because the one he wanted was the little blonde that now stood crying.

soon Lyra came running after them, stopping just a little behind them. "you guys..." she said, looking at them with worry. she wasn't sure how she could help this time.

Ramza whimpered pitifully at first, but finally managed to find his voice. "Delita, nothing happened! nothing ever _could_ happen, okay?...because I...I..." he wished he could blurt out that he loved him, but he couldn't say it, not now of all times. even so, he could still be honest. "...because I am waiting, alright? I am waiting for someone I love! I know that I'm a boy and it's not supposed to matter to me, but it does! I don't want to have sex or touch or even _kiss_ until I can do it with someone I love, and as nice as she is, I don't love Lyra!" he yelled, tears still falling down his face like twin rivers. unable to hold on any longer, he burst into tears and fell to his knees.

Delita gasped softly. he turned and stared at the blonde. "...is this true?" he asked, but Ramza was crying too much to answer.

Lyra sighed. "he's like a little brother to me, _believe _me, nothing could ever happen." she said.

the brunette looked at his hands and they began to shake. he'd yelled at Ramza, refused to listen to his side of the story, and he'd even struck him when he'd tried to explain himself. how could he just assume something like this of someone so sweet and innocent? he ran to the blonde, dropped to his knees and hugged him tightly. "Ramza...oh god, I'm so sorry...I...I overreacted!"

Ramza sobbed, banging on Delita's chest with his fists in anger. "you're such a stupid jerk! why would you think I would just _do_ something like that?" he cried.

"I know, I'm so sorry...please forgive me..." he begged, hugging the boy as tightly as he could without hurting him.

Lyra sighed softly. 'young couples fall apart like cheaply made arrows...' she thought, shaking her head.

after a few minutes, Ramza wrapped his arms around Delita and lifted his head from the brunette's chest. in a rare moment of tenderness, Delita leaned in and kissed Ramza's forehead. "I'm sorry Ramza, I promise I won't just assume the worst of you next time..." he said.

Ramza blushed softly and looked away. "I certainly hope so!" he said, trying to sound angrier than he was.

"I won't." said Delita.

the blonde smiled at that. he then got up, wiping his tears away. "Lyra...we should go get ready for the day...we can't go patrolling in our sleepwear." he said.

she chuckled. "yeah, Edwin would die of a nosebleed if I walked around in this all day." she said, pulling at her nightgown.

Ramza laughed and Delita smirked slightly, for once not saying something obnoxious about her. "alright then. I'll wait outside. see you shortly." said the brunette before walking away.

"see you out there, kiddo." said Lyra to the blonde, ruffling his hair and heading off to her own room.

he then went to his room, glad to see that everything had been resolved. he got dressed and tied back his hair, then looked in the mirror. he frowned slightly. his face was still slightly red where Delita had hit him. he sighed softly. there was nothing that he could do about it right now.

he exited his room and saw Lyra walking a fair bit ahead of him. he began to think of how they would go about patrol today, looking at the ground as he thought.

meanwhile, Lyra passed through the front doors of the castle just in time to see Delita smacking himself in the head. "_idiot!_" he growled at himself. he felt like an ass for how he had acted.

she walked over to Delita silently and placed a hand upon him, making him jump slightly for having not heard her approach. "you know...my grandfather always said 'small acts of kindness go a long way in the search for forgiveness'...I think that applies here." she said. he stared at her for a moment. to express her idea of what might help, she leaned in and kissed Delita's cheek. "do with that what you will." she said simply before walking a little ways away. he gave her a look of confusion, trying to understand what she had said and done.

moments after, Ramza emerged from his home, still lost in thought. having some idea of what Lyra meant, Delita walked over to the male. he frowned when he saw that his strike had left it's mark on Ramza's face. "that...looks like it hurts..." he said.

the blonde snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at him. "w-well a little, but...it's alright. I'll be fine." he said, brushing it off as though it was nothing.

"no, it's not alright...I never should have hit you...to damage such a lovely face...to hurt someone so kind and gentle...I feel like I've sinned against god..." said the brunette with a serious expression.

Ramza blushed furiously. "D-Delita, you're exaggerating..." he said looking at the other shyly.

"I don't think so...I shouldn't be such an ass to you and I am truly sorry..." said Delita. he lightly touched the sore cheek then leaned in and just kissed it delicately so he wouldn't harm him any further.

the blonde's face turned crimson. "i-it's fine...don't uh...d-don't worry about it..." he said quickly.

Lyra, who had been looking over her shoulder at them, chuckled softly. 'ah, young love...they make me feel so old by comparison...' she thought, amused by them.

the brunette smiled. "we should go get the others and start on our patrol." he said, turning and beginning to walk off.

"r-right!" said Ramza, still embarrassed.

they walked to the castle where they had spoken to Dycedarg and prince Larg the previous day and sure enough, Lydia, Edwin, and Argath were out front waiting for them. Lydia waved at them. "good morning, everyone~!" she said happily.

when they got closer, Edwin frowned under the shadows of his hat. "Ramza, what happened to your face?" he asked, concerned.

Ramza's eyes widened a bit. how the hell should he answer this? he couldn't just tell them Delita hit him, it was all a misunderstanding and he didn't want everyone thinking that Delita was a bad person.

before he could say anything, Lyra spoke up. "oh, that...well, he tried to wake me up this morning in the middle of a dream about a fight and I clocked him." she lied. Ramza looked at her with gratitude in his eyes.

"yeowch...you've gotta have a wicked backhand to leave that...I'll bet Delita wanted to kill you." said Edwin with a cringe.

the three of them laughed awkwardly. "I uh...I can understand when it's just an accident." said Delita.

the others looked at him funny. Delita being reasonable where Ramza was involved? it didn't seem possible. they shook off the surprise after a moment, letting the subject just slide. "so we're patroling down to Gariland again, right?" asked Lydia, changing the subject.

"yes, we should get going." said Ramza.

the others nodded in agreement and they headed off. from there the day was rather ordinary. no monsters or thieves were out and the weather was bright and sunny. it seemed rather dull compared to their usual days. without anyone attacking them, they made it to Gariland by mid afternoon. they ate lunch and took a break before heading back to Igros. by the end of the day, Ramza had nearly forgotten about being struck by Delita that morning.

when night came, Ramza had dinner once more with his sister and Lyra and when they were finished, they each went to their rooms. as Ramza laid in bed, he couldn't help thinking how nice it was to have had someone to sleep with last night. he looked up at his ceiling and smiled. "I miss the days when I could do things like that...father...do you remember when I used to crawl into bed with you as a child? I miss those days..." he said aloud. he wondered how his father was doing in heaven. wondered if he was happy. well, it was heaven, he _should_ be happy. he rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. he still missed his father, but he imagined that he was happy now. he fell asleep without too much trouble and slept peacefully throughout the night.

the following week, they fell into a routine of fighting monsters and bandits during the day and chatting and dining together on the nights that they spent in Gariland.

one particular night, Ramza came down from his room after a bath as he often did to find that Lyra had finished her own first and was sitting alone with her usual pint of mead. "where are the others?" he asked her, sitting down.

"everyone else must've thought a bath was a good idea I guess." she replied. she took a sip of mead and smiled. "looks like we're getting some more alone time, eh?" she said with a wink.

Ramza blushed slightly and giggled. "something like that..."

she laughed and ruffled his hair. for a moment, she just played with those lovely blonde locks, then she thought of something and pulled back. "hey, can I ask you something?" she asked. he nodded. "well...assuming you actually _do_ get Deli, what do you plan on doing with him?" she asked.

he frowned. "I...I've never actually thought that far ahead before...I mean...I can't exactly marry him...he's a man..." he said, looking disappointed.

she frowned as well. "you can't? well if you wanted I could take you to my homeland...I don't particularly wanna go back, but same sex marriages are allowed back home." she said.

his eyes lit up at those words. "really? that would be wonderful..." he said, smiling.

"alright, so you woo him and marry him. what comes next? get so crazy about eachother you just have sex all day long and forget about your jobs?" she said teasingly, poking his nose playfully.

Ramza blushed furiously. "s-sex? I didn't know that...that same sex couples could do that..." he admitted.

Lyra's eyes grew wide. "_what?_ seriously?" she cried, making the bartender look up at them.

his blush intensified. "I-I didn't know that they could..." he said softly, fidgetting a bit.

"good gods, I have _so much_ to teach you!" she said, her green eyes sparkling. before he could say anything, she had begun to tell him all about sex between men, starting with foreplay, working her way up, and being explicitly descriptive throughout.

when she finished, his eyes were wide, his face was crimson, and he was desperately fighting arousal. "oh my god..." he said softly. he couldn't believe all that he'd just heard. it was possible? he and Delita could really be together that way?

Lyra leaned in close, to the point that he could feel her hot breath on his ear. "...and when it's done just right, it feels so...damn..._good..._" she said in a voice that just worked him up even more.

he swallowed audibly. what was he to do with all that information? Lyra chuckled. "did I overdo it?" she asked him.

"I...m-maybe a little..." he said softly.

she patted him on the back. "well, you can always take things into your own hands if it was too...exhilarating..." she said with a wink.

he whimpered softly. he didn't want to do _that_. he'd always resisted doing it, thinking that it was kind of perverted based on what the church said of it.

shortly the rest of the group came to dinner and Ramza edged closer to the table to hide himself. they ate and laughed and enjoyed eachother's company, Ramza acting as though absolutely nothing was wrong the entire time, but being unable to calm his body. finally, he couldn't handle sitting with everyone pretending he was fine anymore. "I'm feeling tired. I'm going to go to bed I think." he said.

"oh? alright then, goodnight Ramza." said Lydia.

unfortunately, everyone was still looking at him. they'd notice his 'problem' if he got up now. recognizing this difficulty, Lyra stood up and stretched. "well, the night is still young for me, I think I'll go for a nice, long walk." she said.

everyone's eyes turned to the young woman and Ramza mouthed the words 'thank you' to her. she winked at him and he quickly got up and left for his room.

when he got there he locked the door, stripped off of his clothes, and sat back on the bed. he looked down at his erection. "god, it's never been this bad before...why did she have to tell me every little thing?...and in that _voice_..." he said, thinking back on that soft, seductive voice she had explained everything in as she got more and more into the subject.

mind you, her voice was just one of the reasons he was having problems though. when she spoke, he had envisioned Delita doing those things to him and it was the two things coupled together that had gotten him so worked up.

he laid back, propped up slightly by the overstuffed pillow that lay at the head of the bed. it didn't seem like it would go away this time...he gulped. "Delita, father, god...please forgive me for this..." he said softly.

he slowly trailed his hand down his chest, down over his stomach to his pubic area, feeling the smooth skin curiously before tentatively touching his shaft. he winced slightly. it felt so sensitive...

he moved his hand up and rubbed the slit of his cock lightly with his fingertips, whimpering slightly at the feeling. he wasn't used to the way it felt. carefully he wrapped his hand around his erection and slowly began to stroke himself. he let out another soft whimper. it felt strange...good, but strange.

as he progressed, his hand moved faster and his breathing got a bit shorter until he was panting. finally overcoming how strange it felt, he moaned out softly.

after a while of talking, Delita decided that Ramza had the right idea in going to bed early. he climbed the stairs of the inn to the floor that he was on. he walked into his room and began to pull off his clothes. suddenly he heard a faint noise. he paused, frowning slightly as he turned towards the wall. he could have sworn that he'd heard something coming from Ramza's room...but Ramza was supposed to be asleep, wasn't he?

curious, he got up on his bed and pressed his ear to the wall. for a moment, it was silent. 'maybe I'm hearing things...what am I doing listening in on Ramza slee-?" before he could finish that thought, he heard it again. this time, he recognized the sound. it was a moan. Ramza was...moaning?

in the other room, Ramza was getting quite into the moment. he fantasized that it was Delita's hand stroking his erection, that the male was nibbling and sucking on the place where neck meets shoulder, his free hand groping his chest, occasionally stopping to tweak his nipples. "Delita..." he said softly enough that it went unheard in the other room. he was slowly getting more and more vocal about the pleasure he was feeling.

suddenly there was a loud moan and Delita's eyes widened. "oh, sweet god!" he said under his breath. without a moment's hesitation, the brunette pulled off his underwear and grabbed his cock, pumping it. just hearing Ramza moaning made his erection come to life rather quickly. he kept his ear pressed to the wall, balanced on his knees as he listened. the position was horribly awkward, but to him it was worth it. "Ramza, let me hear you...let me hear what it's like to give you pleasure..." he said softly, closing his eyes and listening closely.

the blonde mewled as his thoughts progressed further. the Delita in his mind had moved past foreplay and was now thrusting strongly into him. to simulate this, the blonde reached his other hand down and began massaging his tight entryway. part of him wanted to thrust his fingers inside, but at the same time, he was afraid to because Lyra said that it could hurt a little to have something inside. even so, just doing this was bringing him closer to the edge and making him get much louder.

even having just started, hearing Ramza moaning like that was making it hard for Delita to hold off from finishing. "come on baby, you can do this...just a little further..." he said softly, coaxing Ramza though the boy couldn't actually hear him. he turned his head and kissed the wall tenderly as he would the blonde if the two of them were doing this in the same room. he then turned his head to rest his ear upon the wall once more. his other hand reached down to massage his balls, rolling them in his hand and leaving him balanced only by the connection of his head to the wall. he was getting close and couldn't help how his grunting and panting was getting slowly louder. he only hoped that the blonde couldn't hear him through the wall.

Ramza however was too busy to listen to what was going on in the other room. his hand was flying on his shaft, his hips thrusting upwards, no longer able to hold back. he let out an overly cute whimper at the feeling of precome leaking out of his slit. he was so close to completion. he only managed to last a few more moments before reaching his limit. he gave a loud cry, arching off of the bed.

the moment Ramza cried out, Delita lost it. he came, giving a loud groan and splattering the wall with his seed.

the blonde could have sworn that as he achieved orgasm, he heard the one he'd been fantasizing about cum too with a groan, but he couldn't imagine that it was actually real. he dropped back down onto the bed, limp. he wiped his hands on the sheets and reached his bag on the floor, pulling out his usual bedclothes and pulling them over his head before getting under the blankets. "Delita...I hope that you can forgive me for that..." he said softly. he moved around until he was comfortable, then honey brown eyes closed and he went to sleep.

in the other room, Delita grimaced at the mess he'd left on the wall. "damn..." he muttered. weakly, he got up and went into the bathroom to get a towel and cleaned himself and the wall up. he tossed the towel lazily onto the floor and got into bed. "hopefully you didn't mind me joining in Ramza...I've got to work out all the pent up sexual frustration you give me somehow after all..." he muttered. he got under his own sheets, not bothering to put back on his underwear and closed his eyes, falling asleep quicker for having masturbated.

meanwhile outside of town, Lyra walked alone, enjoying the night sky. 'it's so beautiful tonight...it's a pity I don't have someone to walk with...I wonder...is he looking up at the moon tonight too?' she thought. she stopped and wrapped her arms around her waist. she couldn't help thinking of him when she was alone. she missed him so much even now that it had been a few years.

"what are you doing out here?" came a voice. she jumped, her hand automatically going up to her sword as she turned. the boy behind her raised his hands defensively to show that he was no threat. she lowered the hand on her blade and relaxed. "Argath..." she said softly.

"it's getting late...you should head back. it's not safe for a woman to walk the streets alone, even here." he said.

she giggled, moving over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "aww, were you worried about me Argy? that's why you're out here? I didn't know that you could be so sweet~." she teased.

he closed his eyes, blushing slightly. "hardly. you may be a mercenary, but you're a rather valuable member of our team...we would be at a disadvantage if you were to become lost or die..." he said simply.

she giggled, pressing her hips against his. she couldn't help herself, she just loved to torture a clean-cut man. it was the sadist in her coming out. "so if I wasn't so important to the team...would you miss me at all if I just...disappeared?" she asked. unable to resist, she leaned up to the tall man and licked the seam of his lips.

he blushed furiously and glared at her. "I have been most patient with you, miss Lyra. stop it. this is most undignified, so please cease to-" he began, his voice holding undertones of anger.

suddenly a sound cut through the night air. they looked down to see an expertly shot arrow right at their feet. "Siyete!" called a woman. they looked up in the direction the arrow had come from. not too far away stood a group of women.

"who the hell...?" muttered Argath. suddenly one of the women, a bald woman with a tattoo in the middle of her forehead began shouting at them in their native language.

Lyra yelled back at them angrily in the same language.

"we will not allow you to leave, Siyete...give up, before we have to hurt you..." threatened a brunette girl, raising her bow, ready to fire off another arrow.

"leave me the hell alone, dammit! if you want me, you'll have to _kill me_!" cried Lyra.

the girls glared at her. "that is your answer? so be it..." spat one of the girls.

Argath's eyes widened. he hadn't expected anything like this so he had foolishly left his sword in his room at the inn. the one brown haired girl fired off an arrow, but Lyra acted quickly, shoving Argath out of the way. "_RUN!_" she screamed to him, grabbing her blade and running towards the women.

the brunette shot arrows at her but she dodged them with incredible skill, one nearly hitting her, slicing her waist on the way by, but she ignored the pain. the bald woman whispered enchantments and ice soon came up from the ground, narrowly missing the orangish-blonde haired woman.

Argath watched for a moment, then ran in after her. just as a woman tried to bring an ornate club down over Lyra's head, he slammed his fist into the side of her face, knocking her off balance. "what are you doing?" cried Lyra.

"what kind of a man would I be if I left a woman to fight on her own?" he answered.

she growled, not pleased that he'd come to her rescue. chivalry was a nice thought and all, but he was unarmed and they wouldn't hesitate to kill him if they got the chance...but her, they wanted her alive..."fine, but don't kill any of them!" she yelled.

"_what?_" he yelled back. she wouldn't let him kill her attackers? what on earth was going on?

they stood back to back, the women moving to stand around them. they fought them off for a solid 5 minutes before they successfully knocked one of them out. "good work! keep going!" encouraged Lyra.

before they knew it, their movements seemed to become one, as though they knew what one another was thinking. a woman came, sword pulled back, ready to thrust it into Argath's body, but he ducked and Lyra leapt back over him and kicked the woman in the face hard enough that she lost consciousness. another woman came running at Lyra and Argath knocked her back with a foot to the stomach. before the woman could retaliate, Lyra slammed the hilt of her sword into her temple and she blacked out.

just as things were looking up, lightning seemed to surround them, caging them in. "dammit!" cried Lyra.

the remaining two women, the bald woman and the brunette with the bow closed in on them, the lightning cage getting smaller. a lightning blade suddenly appeared over Argath's head, ready to come down. "it's over." said the bald woman, her eyes narrowing.

before they could bring the blade down on the blonde man, Lyra leapt on him, wrapping her arms around him. "c'mere!" she cried. with the force she had grabbed him, they began to fall back towards the lightning, but before they could hit it, Lyra called out a few words in in that language and they disappeared.

"_NO!_" screamed the bald woman, but it went unheard by them.

before he could be certain of what was happening, Argath felt himself falling, Lyra's arms still wrapped tightly around him. they screamed before hitting solid ground harshly. Lyra's fall was cushioned by Argath's body, really just her hands ending up hurt, but the blonde man yelped as his back slammed into the ground followed shortly by the young woman landing on him.

once she was over the shock of the fall, Lyra pulled back, still sitting on him and placed her hands on his face. "Argath, I'm so sorry! are you alright?" she asked, great concern in her voice and eyes.

he groaned, looking around. they were in an alley in Gariland by the looks of things. he then looked up at her. "what...what the hell _was_ that?" he asked.

"they are a group of warriors from my homeland...I am...wanted in a way..." she said the last part hesitantly.

he gazed up at her in shock. why did they want her? did she do something to them? was she a criminal? his next thought he actually voiced. "who...are you?" he asked.

she looked down. carefully, she pulled away from him, allowing him to sit up as she sat with her legs folded beneath her, her back to the wall. she bit the bottom of her red lips. she didn't want to tell anyone, but it seemed so unavoidable in that moment. she looked up at him through long, thick, black eyelashes for a moment before bringing her head up to face him properly. "my...my name is Lahara Minakos and I am-"

.~.~.~.~.

alright. so there's chapter 5~~!

so if it wasn't obvious, the 'legacy' of Balbanes' that Delita was talking about is Ramza. I figured it was pretty obvious, but i felt that i should inform you all anyway. :P

okay, so i left Lyra's explanation of boy on boy sex out, figuring that we all probably know how gay sex works assuming we like yaoi, but if it's requested enough, i will put in a full description :)

so this chapter had alot of things crammed into it, but i'm trying to make alot of things happen in as few chapters as i can before we get back to the story, so forgive me ^-^U

lol i find it so amusing that Ramza's only just now finding his sexuality XDD well you can only fight your urges for so long i guess.

ahahaha please don't hate me for that cliff hanger :X i will _eventually_ explain all about Lyra, but for now, it is better kept a secret. i will leave you all hints though! :3 just so you know though, what you'll likely think with my hints is only a fraction of who - and what- she is :)

Lyra kiss count

Ramza: 5 on the cheek, 5 on the chest

Argath: 1 on the hand, 1 on the lips

Edwin: 1 on the nose, 1 on the lips

Alma: 1 on the hand

Delita (yes, seriously): 1 on the cheek

alrighty then, please, please, please, _**please**_ review! only one devoted fan is giving me reviews...i need _more! _reviews are inspiring and will help me get chapters up faster 'cause i know that people want to read more. a play in the theatre doesn't usually keep going if people show up, stay for a few minutes, then leave, right? inspire me~~! ^o^

love you duckies, matane~~! ^-^/


	6. Chapter 6

woo! i got through one chapter with hardly any of the main storyline! yes! *stands spread out, arms in the air, face skywards in triumph*

incidentally, is someone beta-ing me without my knowledge? 'cause like half of my exclamation points in the last chapter disappeared and _i _sure as hell didn't take them out. i'm all for someone fixing my mistakes, but don't take away my exclamation points or question marks or periods where i've put more than 3 dots. i'm very emphatic and i need them :/ please give them back, i am not happy with this.

alrighty duckies, let's get on with the next chapter which is also sans-main storyline. rock and roll! *puts on her Sam Roberts music for this one*

i don't own the characters or storyline of final fantasy tactics, but i do own my OCs and my ideas. i also don't own Sam Roberts (who of course doesn't actually appear in this but is keeping me all pumped up for writing). he's too damn cool for anyone to own. lol

.~.~.~.~.

Chapter 6 Making Peace

Argath watched the woman in front of him carefully as she spoke. "you're...you're telling the truth, aren't you?" he asked her, shock evident on his face.

she looked away from him. "I am..." she said. there was a long pause before she looked back at him. "look, this isn't something that I'm exactly proud of, alright? it's...shameful..." she said the last part softly, pulling her legs out from under her and hugging them close to her chest.

"I see..." he said, his voice surprisingly gentle for once. he sat there looking at her as he tried to process everything. he then stood up, dusted himself off, and held out his hand to her. "come on. we should get back to the inn." he said.

she stared at his hand for a moment, then hesitantly took it. "a-alright." she said in that same small voice as before that was so unlike her.

they began walking and she held herself as they went. she felt so insecure letting someone know the truth. she felt exposed...naked...and not in a way that she was used to. she couldn't strut about when she was this kind of naked. it was awkward and uncomfortable. she let out an uneasy sigh, looking at the ground.

"so..." suddenly Argath's voice reached her ears and she turned her head to look at him. "if I may ask...why have you not told the others yet? don't you think that they would understand?" he asked.

she shook her head, orangey-blonde locks following the movements elegantly. "think about it...if they knew it would completely change everything...they'd look at me so differently...and if it got out to Dycedarg or prince Larg, or anybody like that it could be chaos, anarchy...I can't risk telling them right now..." she said.

he frowned slightly. anarchy seemed a bit much, but at the same time she could be right. he sighed, looking up at the night sky as they neared the inn. "well, it is your decision, not mine. I will keep silent until you wish to speak of it to them." he said.

she smiled softly. "believe me when I say that I cannot express my gratitude." she said. when they came to the inn, they went inside, up to their rooms. she leaned in and kissed him gently as thanks and this time, he accepted the gesture though he still didn't kiss her back.

when she pulled away, he looked down at her. suddenly he remembered that she was injured and lightly trailed a finger down her side, stopping just above the wound. "would you like me to help you fix this?" he offered.

she raised an eyebrow. he was already treating her differently. "since when are you this compassionate? don't worry about it, I can bandage my own wounds." she said.

"alright. sleep well then." he said, giving her a small nod of his head.

"goodnight, Argath...sweet dreams." she said. she then went back into her room, cleaned up, and went to bed.

in the morning, Ramza awoke to the feeling of light shining on him. he opened his eyes slowly. he sat up and yawned, stretching himself before sliding his feet out from under the blankets and lightly placing them on the ground. he looked out the window and smiled softly to himself. the weather was beautiful that day. "it'll be a good day today..." he said to himself.

he then proceeded to get dressed for the day and went downstairs. as he walked, he met up with Delita, who smiled at him. "morning." said the brunette, seeming surprisingly happy despite the fact that he wasn't a morning person.

"good morning, Delita." said the blonde brightly.

"my, my, you're in an awfully sunny disposition today." said Delita with a chuckle.

"oh, well, I guess I just slept well last night." he said simply. he had indeed slept well and he wondered if it had anything to do with what he'd done before bed.

Delita smirked. "I'll bet you did..." he said. he then patted Ramza on the back and went ahead to their table where Argath and Lydia were already sitting.

the blonde frowned. what on earth did Delita mean? suddenly his eyes widened in horror. 'oh, god...he...he didn't hear me last night, did he?' he thought. he whimpered slightly. he just might never masturbate again.

he went to the table and sat down, looking thoroughly ashamed. Delita looked at him and frowned. 'what's wrong? I know it's embarrassing, but it's perfectly natural...then again, knowing Ramza it was probably the first time he ever did it...' he thought. in that moment he felt that Ramza most likely needed him to act as his friend. he quickly wrapped his arm around the blonde's head and made a fist with the other hand, rubbing his knuckles harshly over the boy's head. "what's with that face? lighten up!" he said in as light hearted a tone as he could.

the blonde yelped and struggled in vain. "D-Delita!" he cried. the brunette laughed and rubbed harder.

Argath gave them a strange look, wondering how it was that they were so close when they came from completely different walks of life. however when he heard footsteps, he turned his attention the approaching person instead.

"good morning." said Lyra with a smile. Argath looked to her side, noticing that she had repaired the cut in her dress and appeared to be perfectly fine.

"morning!" said the others, Delita finally letting go of Ramza's head.

as she went to select a chair, Argath stood and pulled one back for her. "here, take this one." he said, offering it.

the group stared at him. it seemed unusual for him to act this way with her. "er...thank you..." she said, a bit surprised. she sat in the chair and he sat back down beside her.

Edwin walked in, about to take a seat when Argath spoke once more. "are you hungry this morning?" he asked Lyra, placing his hand on hers lightly.

she raised an eyebrow. "y-yeah...I'm hungry every morning..." she said slowly.

"very well, I shall see when they are bringing the food out. is there anything in particular that you'd like?" he asked.

she frowned slightly. "Argath..." she said in a tone suggesting that he should stop acting so strange.

Edwin actually took off his hat for once, his expression a mix of surprised and confused. "did I miss something? you're acting kind of weird Argath..." he said.

the tall blonde blushed slightly and folded his arms across his chest. "I don't know what you're talking about." he said flatly. he wasn't really certain how he should act with her knowing what he knew now.

suddenly Edwin's lips turned up in a wry little smirk. "_oh_...I see..." he said softly.

everyone looked up at him. "...and what exactly do you see?" asked Argath.

the wizard chuckled. "don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about...I saw you leave right after her when she went for a 'walk'...something happened between you two last night..."

they looked at eachother with worry. was Lyra going to have to tell them the truth so soon? they looked back at the wizard as he spoke.

"you finally gave in to all her flirting...a moonlit walk is a little cliche in my opinion, but hey, if it works for you, who am I to say it's bad?" he asked, putting his hands behind his head and laying back in his chair.

"_what?_" cried Argath. he looked at Lyra and blushed furiously. him and her _together_?

Lyra breathed a sigh of relief, but looked at Argath and felt too badly to encourage the lie. "it wasn't like that...he was a little worried about a woman walking outside all alone at night, so he came with me. it was just a little walk. nothing more, nothing less." she said. Argath looked at her for a moment, surprised that she didn't just take advantage of what Edwin thought was the truth.

"oh no? well it's still pretty obvious that he likes you if he's acting like this..." said Edwin, still smirking.

"he's a nobleman. they're supposed to be gentleman according to the books I've read about this land." said Lyra, trying to defend the blonde male.

Lydia giggled. "he's not like this with me, you know." she said. the others laughed.

Argath sighed, surrendering to the fact that they were going to think whatever they wanted to think. Lyra patted him on the back to comfort him. "hey, at least _we _know it's not true, ne?" she asked him in a soft voice.

he looked up at her, his cheeks still a bit pink. "y-yeah...I guess so..." he said back.

Delita hmm'ed in thought. Ramza looked at him. "what is it Delita?" he asked.

the brunette looked at him and shook his head. "nah, it's nothing, don't worry about it." he said simply.

the blonde frowned at the answer, but accepted it. "...alright...if you say so..." he replied.

they ate breakfast and headed out on patrol once more. as they walked, it didn't take very long for Argath to move up ahead to walk with Lyra. "you're awful friendly today...you don't seriously have a crush on me, do you?" she asked him, not really sure what he was doing.

he blushed and looked away. "I...just wanted to walk with you is all..." he said simply.

she raised an eyebrow, studying the tall boy carefully. "is that a yes or a no? it wouldn't be like you were the first person to fall for me like this...it happens periodically for some reason." she said simply, as though knowing this kind of thing was a regular occurance would somehow convince him to give her a straight answer.

"just how often does that kind of thing happen to you?" he asked, still not giving an answer.

she shrugged. "well, it usually happens when I've spent alot of time with someone or if I kiss them. I wouldn't really say that I'm all that despite the way that I act sometimes, but people seem to be drawn to me for some reason." she said. she was actually quite modest when it came to things like this.

he smiled slightly. "intelligence, strength, beauty, power...who _wouldn't_ be attracted to that?" he said.

she laughed. "why Argath, are you...trying to flirt with me?" she asked in an amused tone.

he blushed furiously. "w-well, I'd have liked to think that I was _succeeding_, but apparently not..." he said, looking away shyly.

she laughed more and wrapped her arms around him as they walked. "ooh, who thought that such a serious young man could be so _cute_?" she said happily, nuzzling his neck.

Argath blushed more. "men aren't supposed to be 'cute'..." he muttered.

she giggled. "...but I _like_ cute men...I wouldn't waste my time on a stiff you wouldn't know alive from dead." she said.

the tall man frowned. he didn't want to be considered cute, but apparently cute worked. "oh, alright lady Lyra...call me cute if it makes you happy..." he said, giving up.

"yay~!" she cheered, hugging him tighter, then letting go, and just walking beside him.

hesitantly, he lifted his hand and placed it at her back. she giggled and leaned in to the touch. "we've been walking a while, would you like to take a break?" he asked her.

she shook her head. "nah. I'm fine! besides, we'll take a break on the plains like always anyway. that's not too much farther." she said simply.

"very well then." he said.

behind them, Delita hmm'ed in thought once more. this time Ramza stopped and pulled him aside. "alright, what's going on? why do you keep doing that?" he asked the other.

the brunette sighed softly. "I just find it strange how Argath is suddenly acting around Lyra...before he had no trouble ordering her around and seemed to find her flirting irritating..._now _he's asking how she is and trying to make sure that she's taken care of and even trying to flirt with her...it just doesn't add up...his opinion of her seems to have changed overnight..." he said to the blonde.

Ramza frowned slightly. "Delita...you shouldn't assume that there's something wrong just because he suddenly likes her...maybe on their walk last night they had a meaningful conversation, or maybe he's secretly liked her all along and was fighting his feelings for her...you shouldn't just automatically think that something's up just because he's showing interest in her now." said the blonde.

Delita sighed again. "maybe you're right, maybe I _am_ overthinking this...it just...seems so strange to me..." said the brunette.

Ramza chuckled and patted his friend on the back. "oh, Delita...if I used that logic, I'd have been convinced that you've been hopelessly in love with me since we were kids~." he said with a laugh before turning and walking once more.

at his words, Delita's face turned crimson. had it been _that_ obvious? if so, how could Ramza believe that he _wasn't_ in love with him? he slowly began walking again, watching the back of Ramza's head. he couldn't help thinking now that the stereotype of blondes being incredibly stupid just might be true...at least where Ramza was concerned.

Ramza sometimes wondered about Delita's feelings, but he took the male's actions as simply how he was protective over his friends, just as Delita claimed. when he heard the brunette behind him, he smiled, but didn't turn to face him. in truth his smile was a bit sad. "of course, I know better than that. you always say that we are like brothers and you get really protective of Teta just like you get protective of me. so I know better than to think that you feel that way." he said.

Delita frowned. that's why Ramza didn't think that he loved him? he wished he hadn't always made up excuses for how he'd acted or said that they were like brothers. "Ramza, I-" he began, wanting to set things straight.

"of course, it's true, we _are_ like brothers, aren't we?" asked the blonde.

both felt sadness in those words. neither thought of the other as a brother, nor did they wish the other to think that way either. "yeah." lied Delita, now thinking that Ramza thought of him as a brother. he walked up beside the blonde and put an arm around his shoulder. Ramza looked up at him and the two smiled at eachother despite their sadness, both pretending that they were happy with things the way that they were.

'a brother...' both thought. 'I long for so much more...but even so, I am just happy that I get to have you in my life...' they thought.

they didn't know that they were thinking the same thing, but looking back, the green eyed woman seemed to sense it. she looked back to Argath. "it is...a pity when two people feel the same about one another, yet never voice it...isn't it, Argy?" she asked him.

he nodded, having no idea that she was actually talking about the two boys behind them. "it is...though I can understand it on some level. sometimes it is hard to say what you truly feel, and sometimes your own duties get in the way as well." he said.

she frowned. "I can understand the difficulty in telling someone something like that, but I have always believed that one's heart should mean more than one's rank." she said.

he looked at her curiously. "oh? does that mean that you could be interested in someone far below your own rank?" he asked.

she nodded. "of course! to me, love goes beyond all things that can separate two people. if you love someone, you should go for it! even if they shoot you down, at least you tried, right?" she said. she then paused and thought for a moment. "actually, I rarely say no to a date. I always like to give someone a chance, you know?" she said with a smile.

Argath blinked. "oh, really?" he asked.

"yes. I think most people deserve at least a chance." she said.

well, this was interesting news. she'd give anyone the opportunity even if they were of a lesser rank. himself, he would not do such a thing, but this news made him think a fair bit about things.

although he didn't hear what started them on this topic, Ramza heard the rest of it and smiled. "she sounds like my father when she talks that way." he said to Delita.

the brunette raised his eyebrows slightly. "oh? she does?" he asked.

"yes. my father once told me about how love is blind, not seeing what separates two people, but seeing them for who they really are...rank, age, and even gender do not matter according to him and I feel the same way." said the blonde.

Delita smiled at this. so there _was_ hope after all. "your father was truly a great man, wasn't he Ramza?" he said.

"yes... and he still is..." said the blonde. he looked up at the sky and smiled. he liked to think that in that moment, his father was looking down at him and smiling back.

when they got to Mandalia plains, they all sat down and relaxed. Lydia went about cooking the meat that they had brought with them while the rest of them just enjoyed the peaceful surroundings.

Edwin rested by the ruins of a wall, Ramza and Delita sat together a little ways away, and Argath sat opposite them next to Lyra who was happily stroking her egg.

"it's nice out today, isn't it?" asked Lyra.

the boys nodded. "it's lovely out...I kind of wish that we could lay in the field all day..." said Ramza. the blonde chuckled a bit and decided that he actually _would_ lay back. he gazed up at the clouds and smiled to himself. it really was a beautiful day.

"oh damn!" came Lyra's voice all of a sudden.

Ramza quickly sat up and they all looked at her. "what is it?" he asked.

"my egg just moved!" she replied in an excited tone of voice.

"you mean it's going to hatch?" asked Argath.

she nodded. "I think so. it doesn't normally move." she said.

they moved closer to watch the egg in her lap, Ramza and Lyra in particular seeming like expectant parents unable to wait and see what their child would be like. the egg continued to move in her lap, the movements getting more and more rapid. suddenly the top of the egg cracked and they watched it with bated breath.

for a moment there was nothing, but soon the egg cracked again and the creature inside thrust it's head through the top of the shell. they stared at it, wide eyed. it was a tiny, brilliant blue dragon. it stared up at Lyra with vibrant green eyes and made a light rumbling sound within it's chest. the woman's lips slowly turned upwards in what became a huge grin. "oh my goodness!" she squealed.

she put the egg on the ground and helped the tiny creature remove the rest of the shell, revealing it's tiny, scaly, winged body, and long tail. "you are _sooooooooooooooo _cute!" she exclaimed, picking the beast up and nuzzling it. the dragon, thinking that Lyra was it's mother, seemed quite happy with this and nuzzled her back, making strange croaking sort of noises in approval.

Ramza smiled and hugged her from behind, the dragon quickly reaching it's long neck up to smell him out of curiousity. "congratulations Lyra." he said, giggling at the feeling of the dragon's hot breath on his forehead.

Delita smirked. "well, it certainly looks like you, congratulations." he said, making Ramza glare at him.

"I'm pretty sure that's meant to be an insult, but I'm too happy to care~~!" said Lyra happily.

Argath stared, too shocked to say anything.

"so what are you going to name it?" asked Ramza.

"well, it's a boy dragon, so he'll need a boy's name." she replied.

Delita raised an eyebrow. "how can you tell it's a boy?" he asked.

she gave him a look as if to say 'umm...are you stupid?' and gently placed the dragon on his back in her arms.

Delita and Ramza's eyes widened and the blonde blushed. "ah." said the brunette in an awkward tone. apparently dragons, like many other species could have their genders defined just by a quick look.

"ooh, you are so damned cute!" said Lyra, sitting down and cuddling the small creature in her arms. "I think that I will name you Ellibrais~." she said happily.

"Ellibrais?" the others repeated.

she smiled. "Ellibrais was one of the only known Kinta warriors that was male. he had long black hair and brilliant green eyes. he started from humble beginnings as a servant boy for princess Iqualix but when she realized his potential, she insisted that he train at her side. when Iqualix became queen, she appointed him the general of her army, second only to herself. he was my grandfather." she said.

"so you come from a military background too, Lyra?" asked Ramza.

Lyra shrugged. "more or less, yeah, but I chose the 'fighter for hire' life instead. even so, I am proud of the history of my family." she said.

'as you should be.' thought Argath.

Lyra giggled. "I think I'll call you Eli for short." she said to the dragon despite the fact that Ellibrais and Eli were said completely differently.

tentatively, Ramza leaned in, looking at the dragon. "can I...can I touch him?" asked the blonde.

the young woman smiled and held him up. "yes, he appears to be quite friendly." she said.

the blonde removed his glove and carefully reached his hand out. Ellibrais reached out his neck and smelled his hand curiously. he gave a small puff of warm air and lowered his head so that he could be touched. Ramza gently brought his hand down, stroking from the top of his head all the way down to his tail with each touch. "Delita, come touch him, it feels like a snake!" he said with a giggle.

the brunette smiled at how childish his friend was acting. he'd always seemed to like animals...then again people so gentle normally did love them. he walked over, removing his own glove and stroking the creature gently. "I must admit, he _is_ rather fascinating..." he said, smiling at the creature. soon he smirked and looked up at Lyra. "so, did it hurt laying the egg? I imagine it was easier than sleeping with the fath-OW!" before he could finish his insult, Ellibrais turned his head quickly and bit through his wrist guard, into his wrist.

Edwin, who had just come over to see what the commotion was about, broke out laughing. "apparently dragons speak english!" he managed out, still laughing.

Ramza giggled, covering his mouth with his hand.

Delita turned, glaring at him with watering eyes as he ripped off the now broken wrist guard to reveal bleeding holes in his flesh. "why the hell are you laughing?" he snapped.

the blonde tried to stop giggling. "I-I'm sorry, it's just...well, you kind of deserved it, insulting his 'mother'..." he said.

Delita's eye twitched. he grabbed Ramza by the ponytail and wrestled him to the ground, pulling harshly on his hair and sitting on him. "oh, so I _deserve_ this bleeding bite mark, do I?" he growled at the now yowling Ramza.

"Delita, that _hurts!_ stop it! stop it!" cried the blonde.

"shut up, you big crybaby! this is what you get for saying I _deserve_ to be injured!" he snarled, pulling harder on the blonde's hair, making their fearless leader wail loudly.

Argath, Edwin, and Lyra stared at the two of them, Ellibrais watching curiously as well. "should we...should we interviene?" asked Edwin awkwardly, not his usual unflappable self.

Lyra looked over at him with an equally unsure look on her face. "I...I'm not really sure..." she admitted.

suddenly Lydia came over and smacked Delita over the head with her staff. "enough of this, both of you! you're nearly adults, grow up!" she scolded, taking on the role of their mother.

Delita grumbled bitterly and stalked off, rubbing his head. Ramza sighed, rubbing his own head to relieve the soreness of having his hair pulled so hard. "he really _is _like a brother sometimes..." he muttered.

having settled things for the time being, Lydia proceeded to give everyone some of the meat they had and they ate. Lyra happily fed a portion of hers to Ellibrais in bites small enough for his little mouth.

after a while, Argath spoke. "lady Lyra? are you really going to keep that dragon?" he asked.

she blinked. "well, yeah, of course I am...why?" she asked him back.

he frowned. "dragons are rather drangerous beasts...I wouldn't want it to grow up and eat you...or anyone else for that matter." he stated.

she chuckled. "I won't let him eat anyone. don't worry about it." she said, looking down as the creature took another piece of meat from between her fingers delicately so he would not hurt her. "besides...look how gentle he is...I don't think he'd eat one of us." she said.

he sighed softly, not entirely sure that keeping a dragon was a good idea. "very well." he said, going back to his food.

after they ate, they returned to Igros and by then, it was getting late in the day. they gave their usual report, then everyone spread out in the castle. as Ramza walked around a corner, he saw Delita looking distainfully at his bitten wrist. Lydia had refused to heal it today as punishment for him acting like a spoiled child, saying that she would heal it tomorrow once he'd 'had time to think about how he'd acted'.

"dammit, this hurts..." growled the brunette softly.

Ramza walked over slowly. "Delita?" asked the blonde.

"what?" said Delita in a flat tone.

the blonde looked at him sadly. "I...I am sorry for laughing when Ellibrais bit you...I shouldn't have...please forgive me." he said, bowing his head in shame.

Delita sighed softly and lifted the blonde's head by the chin with his good hand. "it's alright...I suppose if it hadn't been me being bitten, I'd have laughed too...it _was_ kind of funny that he seemed to know what I was saying about his 'mommy'." said the brunette.

Ramza smiled softly. "I am glad that you're not really angry with me..." said the blonde.

"don't worry about it...we've been close so long that I can never seem to stay angry with you for very long...not about little things anyway." replied Delita.

Ramza smiled softly. he was glad that Delita couldn't really stay angry at him. there was silence for a moment, then the blonde blushed a bit as an idea came to mind. he gently took the injured arm, turning it so that the bite faced upwards. "Delita...I know that I am not Lyra, but..." he trailed off. he brought Delita's arm upwards and bent his head, lightly yet tenderly kissing the wound.

Delita blushed just slightly, a bit shocked that the boy was being so forward with him. "R-Ramza..." he said softly.

he blonde pulled back, still looking a bit embarrassed. "i-is it better?" he asked hopefully.

"I dunno, you might have to try again..." said the brunette, wishing he would.

Ramza blushed furiously and gave Delita a light punch in his good arm. "Delita..." he said, giggling slightly.

the brunette chuckled. "yes, it's better..." he said, pausing for a moment. "...although...a real kiss would make _all_ the pain go away..." he finished, with a slight smile.

Ramza blushed once more and looked away. "then...we should find someone for you to kiss..." said the blonde.

"hmm, yes." said the brunette, looking around, pretending he was looking for someone to kiss. "looks like it's only you and I here..." he said.

Ramza gulped. "y-yes..." he said softly. his heart was pounding. was Delita playing with him? he couldn't possibly be serious.

the brunette turned his friend's head to face him once more. "well? what do you think we should do?" he asked, leaning in so that their faces were maybe an inch apart.

"D-Delita..." said the blonde, his face a rather lovely shade of scarlet at this point. he closed his eyes. even if it _was_ just a game, he wanted Delita to kiss him, so he would allow this whether it was meaningful to the brunette or not.

just as Delita leaned in a bit more, Argath rounded the corner with Lyra and Ellibrais. his eyes widened. "what are you doing?" he cried, horrified. Lyra groaned, wishing they didn't have such horrible timing.

Ramza's eyes snapped open, his blush intensifying. Delita stifled the growl that threatened to break free of him and pulled back, patting the blonde on the shoulder. "nothing. just a little brotherly torture." he lied. he really _was_ planning on kissing Ramza.

"I see..." said Argath, wondering if he should believe him or not.

Ramza sighed softly. so it was just a game? a pity, he really would have let Delita kiss him.

"well, we should probably retire to our homes and rooms now." said the brunette, changing the subject.

"I suppose that you are right." said Argath.

Lyra quickly remembered why she'd been looking for Delita in the first place and grabbed him by the front of his clothing and tugged on him, Ellibrais watching her curiously from his perch on her shoulder. "alright. tonight it's you, me, and alcohol locked in a room together and we're not coming out until we absolutely fucking love eachother!" she said with a dead serious look.

Delita's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. he tried to say something, but no words came out. his face reddened slightly. this had to be the most forward, blunt come on anyone had ever tried on him.

Ramza's eyes were equally wide and beginning to water. he squeaked softly. how could she just decide something like this when she knew that he loved Delita?

Argath stared in shock, unable to understand why she would want someone like Delita of all people.

seeing the looks on their faces, Lyra blinked a bit, then figured out what was wrong. "what? no, no, no, no, no! eww...I mean you're spending the night with me so that we can resolve our differences. I'm tired of all this fighting between us." she said.

there was a collective 'ohh' from the boys and they relaxed. Ramza sighed in relief. he'd felt his heart nearly jump out of his chest at what he _thought_ she had meant.

Delita frowned slightly. "I don't particularly _want_ to spend a night with you..." he stated.

she sighed softly. "yeah, well, you're not exactly my ideal roomate either you know...we need to deal with all this...in my land we're considered adults by most kingdoms...we shouldn't be acting so childish." she said.

Delita snorted. "I am _not _a child..." he grumbled.

she sighed. "I said that _we _were acting childish, not _you_. I am just as much to blame for all of this." she replied.

Ramza lightly put his hand on Delita's shoulder. "Delita, she's trying to make peace...we're all getting pretty tired of the two of you fighting." said the blonde.

Delita looked at him for a moment, then sighed. "alright...if that's what you want, one night with her won't exactly kill me." he said.

Ramza smiled. "good. I am glad. I will see you tomorrow then." he said.

Delita nodded. "sleep well, my friend." said the brunette.

"and you." said the blonde.

Lyra smiled and kissed Ramza on the nose and Argath on the cheek before she and Delita started walking.

as they walked, Delita suddenly frowned. "wait, what did you mean 'eww' when we thought you meant sex? am I like the only guy in the world not good enough for you or something?" he said with a glare.

she sighed. "alright, 1, you and Ramza are like my little brothers, and 2, I'm not fighting about this so just drop it." she said simply.

he growled and looked away from her, still annoyed. "whatever." he muttered.

having been paid this time, Lyra opted to stay at one of the nicer inns in town. she took him to the dining hall and they ate quietly before she brought him to her room.

he looked around at the room. it was very nice, but not exactly lavish or anything. it was simple and pleasant and clean with a nice oak dresser, two nightstands of the same kind of wood, a desk also of the same make and a large bed with what appeared to be satin sheets.

the orangish-blonde haired woman pushed him inside and locked the door behind her. she then went to her things and pulled out three bottles. one of rum, one of mead, and one of ice wine. "pick your poison, Deli." she said, taking her eyes off him momentarily as Ellibrais climbed down her body and up onto the bed, curling up like a cat in a little ball.

he frowned hearing the nickname she'd given him, but ignored it and grabbed the bottle of mead, opened it, and took a sip. "it's sweet..." he said, having never actually had it before.

"mead is honey wine, so yeah, it's pretty sweet. have you drank before?" she asked him.

he tilted his head to the side. "barely. maybe once or twice and only things like ale." he said, taking another few sips.

"I see..." she said. she then sat down on the bed and watched him drink for a few minutes, waiting for the alcohol to work it's magic and loosen his tongue. "you fought well the other day." she said after a little while.

"oh? I did?" he said, raising his eyebrows.

she patted the bed next to her and he hesitantly walked over and sat with her. "yes, quite well. Ramza was singing your praises at dinner with me and Alma that night." she said.

he smiled slightly. "oh really?" he asked, feeling quite satisfied knowing that the blonde couldn't stop talking about him that night.

"yes, really. you sound a bit surprised...you shouldn't be, he practically worships the ground you walk on." she said simply.

he blushed slightly. he wouldn't quite say _that_. before he could say anything, she took the bottle of mead from him and took a long draught. his eyes widened and he blushed furiously, looking away in hopes that she wouldn't see him doing so.

however, she did and she gave him a funny look. "what?" she asked, looking moderately bewildered.

hesitantly he turned his face back, looking slightly sheepish compared to his usual self. he coughed before he said anything. "well, I drank from it, then you drank from it. I dunno about where you live, but to most of the people here it's an indirect kiss." he said, trying to will his embarrassment away.

she stared at him like he was an alien for a moment. "'indirect kiss'?" she repeated. she chuckled slightly. "Ivalice is a strange, strange land...where I come from, people share drinks without much thought to it, food too. don't think much on it. we're just allies sharing a drink together." she said. he thought for a moment on it. she was right. he was being silly thinking it meant anything. "of course, if you wanted I could kiss you for real..." she said with a wink of a green eye.

he frowned. "I'd rather not, thanks." he said flatly.

she laughed. "good, the feeling's mutual." she said with a laugh. she paused for a moment. "so...have you ever done that 'indirect kissing' thing with anyone else?" she asked out of curiousity.

he smiled slightly as he thought of it. "once. I ate a meal with my sister and the Beoulve family when I was small and Ramza insisted that I try some of his meal. it was embarrassing since I already knew what an indirect kiss was, but I accepted. his brothers and our sisters all stared at us but general Balbanes laughed, saying something of the innocence of youth." he said.

she smiled warmly. "how cute...Ramza's still kind of like that, isn't he?" she asked.

the brunette nodded. "he is much like a child in some ways...I don't really think he's grown up entirely yet and I wonder if he ever will...it can be irritating at times, but...it's also endearing and makes me want to protect him from the evils of the world." he admitted.

she smiled. he hadn't drank too much, but he was already letting down his guard some. "I find it endearing too...it's rare to see someone so sweet and innocent...I seem to be taking on the role of his older sister." she said.

he snorted. "well you look nothing alike." he said. her eyes narrowed. so even alcohol couldn't rid him of being a dick? he looked at her and sighed. "that doesn't mean you're unattractive or anything. I'm not interested at all, but I'll admit, you _are_ a good looking woman." he admitted.

she smiled softly at that, leaning over and kissing his cheek. "that's the first compliment you've ever given me." she said. "you're pretty damned good looking yourself." she said happily.

he smiled slightly. "well, we're in agreement there." he said, grabbing the mead bottle back and taking a swig.

she laughed. "I didn't know you had jokes!" she said in an amused tone.

he raised an eyebrow and smirked. "who said I was joking?" he said, making her laugh more. he chuckled a bit himself.

after a little while longer, they finished the mead bottle and moved on to the rum. before they could get it down very far, Lyra stood up. "we should change for bed." she said simply.

before the idea could really register in his mind, she had stripped down to just a pair of panties and was picking up her nightgown. he blushed, staring for a moment before quickly looking away. "it...didn't escape you that I am a _man_, right?" he asked, utterly shocked at having seen a woman topless.

she blinked. "well, no..." she paused for a moment then smirked. "you've never seen a naked woman before, have you? you're much more innocent than you seem." he teased.

he blushed furiously and glared at her. "that's not true!" he snapped. "I've...seen Teta naked." he muttered. even at that, he'd only seen her naked once, barely looked because it was his sister, and they had been incredibly young at the time.

Lyra giggled. "it doesn't count if it's your sister." she said, sounding quite amused. she then smirked an evil little smirk. "wanna see the bottom half?" she asked playfully, slowly sliding the underwear down.

"_NO!_" he insisted, jumping off the bed and putting his hands over hers to prevent her sliding them off and hiding his face in her stomach so he wouldn't see anything. for all his talk and usual coolness, he wasn't quite ready to see a woman naked.

she chuckled and pet his hair affectionately. "alright, alright, I was only teasing you anyway." she said, putting her arms and head through the nightgown and pulling down over her body so that Delita was covered as well. "you can come out now..." she said in a gentle, tender sort of tone as though she were coaxing her own child to come out from under his hiding place beneath her skirt.

he pulled himself out from under, letting the silk material drop down to where it was supposed to be, rather annoyed at how flustered he'd gotten. "it's the alcohol making me act this way, you know." he said flatly.

she chuckled. "of course." she replied.

after a moment, he hesitantly began removing his armour, getting stuck on one part, being a little too tipsy to figure out how to remove it properly. Lyra chuckled and helped him. "it's the-" he started.

"alcohol." she finished. he nodded, letting her help.

when he'd been freed of his armour he stripped off his shirt and boots and socks, but left his pants on. despite the fact that he normally slept in his underwear or less, he wasn't going to take anything more off in front of a woman unless he was injured.

they sat back down on the bed and he stopped to rub his injured wrist. she sighed softly and took his hand. "hang on." she said, lifting up the wrist. she kissed it just as Ramza had, but her kiss healed it.

he smiled slightly. "thanks." he said, relaxing more now that the pain was gone. he was grateful, but it went without saying that he'd enjoyed Ramza's kiss much more.

"don't mention it. it was my dragon that bit you after all." she said.

they went back to drinking once more and before either of them could tell how it had happened, Lyra had come to lay on her back and Delita laid across the bed with his head on her stomach. at this point, Delita was quite drunk, but Lyra was merely tipsy. "so...life as a mercenary...no king to control you, only serving those that pay you...it must be nice in a way not to have someone ruling over you." he said.

she shrugged. "it's nice sometimes in that respect, but it's lonely. you go from town to town and have to leave whatever friends you make behind sooner or later...not to mention that there are times when work is so scarce that you barely scrape by, living in alleys and caves and eating whatever you can find or kill. sometimes...even though it is the life that I have chosen, I honestly hate it. sometimes I catch myself actually wanting to go home..." she admitted. yes, sometimes the fearless and light-hearted young mercenary got homesick. even after all these years, she couldn't help sometimes missing her warm bed, friends, and grandmother...not to mention a certain someone as well.

"I see...can I ask you something?" he asked.

she looked down at him curiously. "what is it?" she asked back.

he looked up at her, his cheeks slightly red from the alcohol in his system. "if you miss it so much and you don't always like being a mercenary, why don't you just go home?" he asked.

she smiled a slightly sad smile. "it would not be easy to go home...I am bound by duty there. much has been expected of me ever since I was a baby and the expectations have only grown as time has passed...here life is not always easy, but I am a free woman at the least." she said.

he wondered for a moment what was expected of her, but chose not to ask.

they laid there in silence for a while, before Lyra spoke again. "can I ask something of you?" she asked.

"if you want." he said simply.

"the way you act with Ramza...you like him, don't you?" she asked.

he blushed slightly. "'course I like him. he's my best friend." he said simply.

she shook her head. "no, it's more than that...don't think that I have missed those careful glances, or how protective you are, or that I could be fooled into thinking that what I saw at the castle today really was just 'brotherly torture'...you love him..." she said.

his blush intensified, but this time he was too drunk to look away and try to hide it. he was silent for a while before he spoke. "...I...would like to think that I am not so obvious about it..." he finally admitted.

she smiled, running her fingers through his neatly combed brown hair. "it is alright...though I wonder why he does not see it as well..." she said.

he sighed softly. "Ramza and I are best friends, we're practically brothers as well. I don't think that he is capable of seeing it." he said.

she smiled slightly. 'neither are you...' she thought. "he seems to take things at face value. if you tell him something, he seems to just believe it." she said. she wanted to tell him that Ramza loved him, but she got the feeling that what he had told her that night in castle Beoulve was told to her in confidence. "I think you'd be quite happy together." she said.

he looked up at her, a bit surprised. "oh, you do?" he asked.

she nodded and smiled. "yeah." she replied.

he thought about it for a moment. "well I suppose he's usually pretty open to my advances...maybe there's hope..." he said. he'd like to think that Ramza's openness was not out of sheer stupidity and naivety, but he couldn't be sure.

she grinned and ruffled his hair a bit, messing it up a little, then smoothing it back down into place. "that's the spirit!" she said happily.

he smiled softly, then yawned. "I'm getting tired..." he admitted.

"hmm...me too...we should go to bed." said Lyra.

they moved away from eachother and she pulled back the sheets and got into one side of the bed. Ellibrais automatically came over to her and curled up next to her chest. too drunk and tired to really feel awkward about sharing a bed with her, Delita climbed in as well, getting comfortable on the other side of the bed. "you know, this doesn't make us best friends or anything, right? we're still rivals." he said.

she chuckled. "I know, I wouldn't have it any other way..." she said. she lay silent for a moment, then smiled slightly. "goodnight Delita." she said, closing her eyes.

he yawned again, closing his eyes. "goodnight." he replied.

it wasn't long until they had fallen asleep and both slept peacefully until the morning.

Delita opened his eyes slowly. his head hurt and he groaned softly. he shouldn't have drank so much. he reached up to touch his head, but something was holding onto his arm. he looked down and realized that Lyra and Ellibrais had cuddled up to him in their sleep. he removed Lyra's arm from around him and sat up in bed.

Lyra slowly opened her eyes and yawned. "good morning..." she said, stretching. he grunted in response, not saying anything. she chuckled. "not a morning person?" she asked.

he looked over at her. "no, but being hungover isn't exactly helping me hate mornings any less than I already do." he said.

she smiled. "hang on." she said. she then went to her backpack, smiling as she watched Ellibrais stretch himself out and open his mouth wide in a big yawn. she pulled out a small cloth bag and pulled out a few brilliant green herbs, handing them to Delita. "a secret from my homeland. it gets rid of headaches." she said.

he took the herbs and ate them without any hesitation. if it could get rid of his hangover, he didn't care where it was from or what it tasted like. he sighed and laid back on the bed. "remind me never to get that drunk again..." he said.

she laughed. "alright then." she said in an amused tone.

soon came a knock at the door. Lyra walked over and opened it to find Ramza on the other side. "good morning." he said with a smile. he wasn't normally a morning person either, but he wanted to see how their night together had worked out.

"morning honey!" said Lyra happily. Delita grunted from the bed to acknowledge is friend.

Ramza smiled slightly as he peeked in on Delita. he was shirtless and his hair which was usually well combed and slicked back was rather messy from having slept on it.

Lyra smirked and leaned in to Ramza's ear. "looks good like that, doesn't he?" she said in a voice just above a whisper.

the blonde blushed and giggled. "god, yes...I don't know why but I really like seeing how dishevelled he looks in the mornings~." he said back in the same kind of low voice.

Delita stretched himself on the bed and looked up. "what are you two hens clucking about?"

Ramza blushed more, not really sure how to answer that. without so much as a thought, Lyra gave a loud -and rather convincing- rooster call as her response, making Delita and the few other people still in bed jump and fall out of bed.

the brunette lifted himself from the ground and glared at the woman. "that...is not..._FUNNY!_" he yelled.

she laughed. "well, you said hens...I was just acting the part~~." she said happily.

"_hens_ don't crow." he said flatly, making her laugh.

Ramza whimpered. "does this mean that your differences have not been resolved?" he asked.

she shook her head. "it's nothing like that, we've resolved our differences, or at least we've begun to. don't worry about it. we're doing better than we were before after all." he replied.

"we've...agreed that we don't hate eachother." said Delita, getting off the ground and beginning to get dressed.

she smiled. "yeah. anyway, we should both get ready for the day. we'll be out in a bit, alright Ramza?" she told the blonde.

Ramza nodded. "alright. I'll wait in the dining area for you both." he said. he waved goodbye and left.

Lyra walked over to where she had left her dress and quickly changed into it. she then combed her hair. when Delita had finished putting on his armour he turned to her. "can I borrow that once you're done?" he asked.

she looked at her comb. "sure." she said, handing it to him once she was finished.

"thanks." he said simply, beginning to comb his own hair. she sat down on the bed and pulled Ellibrais into her lap, watching Delita comb his hair. apparently spending the night together had worked wonders as he was actually being quite civil with her this morning. after a moment, the brunette paused. "Lyra?" he asked.

"yes, Delita?" she replied.

"...you do...realize that what I told you regarding Ramza was told in confidence, right?" he said. he wasn't quite ready for Ramza or anyone else to know that he loved the blonde boy. _he_ would be the one to decide when to make his feelings known.

Lyra smiled softly. "of course. do not worry, I can keep a secret." she said. however, just because she was going to keep it secret that they loved eachother didn't mean that she wouldn't try to help them get together.

"good." said Delita, handing her back her comb. "shall we go then?" he asked her.

"yes, let's." she replied.

.~.~.~.~.

yay, we have a dragon in our party now! yay dragons! lol i always made sure that my mediators convinced a dragon to come into my party~~. mind you, Ellibrais isn't exactly going to be much help at the size he is now. he's about the size of a yorkie right now...maybe a little smaller. lol

alright, i think i've used names complicated enough that i need to show you how to say them ^^;

Ellibrais - eh-lih-brace OR eh-lih-bray-iss OR either way with 'lih' as 'luh'

(so it's weird that Lyra nicknames him Eli.)

Iqualix - ee-kwa-licks OR ee-kwa-liss possibly ick-kwa-licks

now i know what you're all thinking. i more or less heard the entire room go 'Argath? _Argath?_' yes, Argath, seriously. it's a little weird for me too since i can honestly say that i do not like Argath one little bit, but hey, it makes for good story. besides, it'll make sense soon enough though, i'm sure. so be patient with me. :D

lol indirect kissing...it just made me laugh and i enjoy the idea of flustering Delita while he's still young enough to be flustered by stuff like that. i honestly couldn't resist...well it is a Japanese game, so i figure of course the characters know about things like that. Lyra wouldn't, being from another realm, but Ramza and Delita and all them would. XDD

a shame that Delita will grow out of his childishness for the most part quite shortly...oh well, i'll just have to find new ways to torture him, won't i? *grins*

ahaha i love Lyra's little hobby of torturing 'clean-cut' men. she makes it seem like so much fun~~ mind you, in all fairness to Deli, part of the reason he was getting so flustered by what she was doing was because he was drunk. he likely wouldn't have been as embarrassed if he'd been sober.

Lyra kiss count

Ramza: 5 on the cheek, 5 on the chest, 1 on the nose

Argath: 1 on the hand, 2 on the lips, 1 on the cheek

Edwin: 1 on the nose, 1 on the lips

Alma: 1 on the hand

Delita (yes, seriously): 2 on the cheek


End file.
